Book of Aris
by Firsty
Summary: This is a little place for all my random one shots to go.
1. Rain

Aris sat in the middle of the _Going Merry_ 's deck, cross legged with her hands folded and resting in front of her. Rain poured down like a river, but it came without lightning or strong wind. A soft melody came from Aris' mouth, but could barely be heard over the sound of water pellets bouncing off the wood of the ship. A rain coat fell over her head, startling her and causing her to look up above. A very annoyed green haired man stood close behind her, arm still out stretched from dropping the coat. He was also equipped with a yellow rain jacket, which didn't suit him in the least.

"Hurry up and put this on so I can go back inside," he said, eyes fixed in a roll that told Aris that Nami had forced him to come out so she wouldn't have to herself. In a criticizing tone, he added, "What the hell are you even doing out here, anyway?" Aris remained seated, but turned her head to look at the sky. Rain fell on her face as she did so.

"The sky is crying," she said as if it were a normal thing for a girl her age to say, "I was singing to make it feel better." Zoro blinked down at her. Aris turned her head and looked up at him, bringing her eyebrows together slightly as she saw his astonished expression. "Well, you do have any other suggestions? How would _you_ make the sky happier?"

"The sky isn't _crying,_ Aris," He said in the least condescending tone he could muster. He realized she had only recently known the outside world, but he didn't know it was _this_ bad. "it's just raining." Aris turned her head and assumed the position she had been in previously.

"_Raining_," she repeated, "is what happens when the sky is sad." Zoro slapped his face with a wet hand, sighing in frustration.

_Someone else should really have come out here,_ he thought, severely aggravated. He knew she meant well, but Zoro didn't exactly have the worlds best patience. "The sky doesn't get sad, it's what happens when there's too much water up there."

"If it doesn't get sad how does the water come out?" She asked, looking up at the rain again. It splattered and ran down the sides of her face. Zoro groaned, shaking his head.

"Fine, whatever, it gets sad. Let's go inside now, okay?" He reached out to grab her arm, but she shook her head before he touched it.

"When I was sad, the sky never gave up on me." She said simply. Zoro froze in his tracks. He wasn't sure why, but those words triggered emotions within him. He remembered when he was tied to the pole at the Marine base, and the little girl who visited him nearly every day, though it was punishable by death. Without fail, he could always count on seeing the little pipsqueak peering over the wall, or even sneaking into the field to smuggle him rice balls. He sighed, then slouched down beside his drenched crew-mate. She looked at him, surprised at first, then turned her head back in front of her and smiled. "Are you going to sing with me?"

"I don't sing," he said shortly, resting an arm on his raised knee.

"Well, neither do I, so don't laugh." She heard no reply, but she knew that to be a silent agreement. Embarrassed, but desperately wanting the 'rain' to stop, she resumed her melody. She wasn't the best of singers, but her voice didn't break glass either. Zoro sat in silence, watching the sea and as water fell down from above and returned to the ocean.

In one of the dry, larger rooms on the upper deck, Misery squinted out the window. "What are those morons doing?" Nami looked up at Misery from her cup of hot chocolate, the steam turning her nose red. "Now he's sitting out there, too." Nami rolled her eyes.

"They can _both_ get sick, for all I care," she spat, taking another careful sip from the warm cup, "it's their fault for sitting out in the rain."

"Is it supposed to let up soon, Nami?" A dark man approached the window the fortune teller was spying out of, his protruding nose pressing against the glass. The orange haired girl checked the device strapped to her wrist, then shook her head.

"The pressure still hasn't dropped, so not until at least an hour. I wouldn't be surprised if it rained all day though." An exaggerated groan rolled out from the chair next to Nami.

"I hate it when it rains," the boy in the straw hat complained, his chin resting on the table and his mouth turned to a pout, "it's so boring staying inside for so long."

"You could always clean," mumbled a blond haired cook, inhaling a cigarette for the 18th time that evening.

Aris closed her eyes, the rain splashing against her eyelids. She had been sitting out here for 20 minutes, singing all the songs she knew (even repeated a few two or three times), and it hadn't made any difference at all. Defeat began to wash over her, she could barely feel the drops on her face anymore... Her eyes snapped open, gazing up at the sky. Gray clouds still plagued above, but the rain had stopped falling down on them. A wide smile spread across her face as rays of sunshine fought their way through and pierced the clouds, shining down in small, thin beams. She whipped her head to face Zoro. The swordsman was looking at the sky, the arm resting on his knee was twisted slightly, palm upturned and absorbing the growing light. A small, disbelieving smirk crawled on his face. Aris' smile grew to laughter, then she rose to her feet, her arms reaching out the the sky, laughing in triumph. "I knew singing would make it happy!"

"I guess it did," Zoro said, still sitting as the other pirates emerged from the upper deck, Luffy's voice in particular exclaiming in joy, "I guess it did."

**

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**This is lacking her background information, and I do apologize for that. Pretty much, just assume she has no idea what anything is for now. I'm working on writing her background, but I wanted to write some short stories to help me get the creative juices flowing.**


	2. Rebirth

Aris' heart pounded rapidly in her chest. They were leading her down a dark, forbidden path that was barricaded by wooden barriers and branches. Akal had told everyone that they could not pass through the narrow, rigid tunnel due to falling rocks and unknown drop offs. But these people, these pirates, guided her reassuringly through the darkness, assuring her she need not worry about any of that happening. As they walked, she looked up at the ceiling, seeing no signs on it caving in, it was as smooth and as even as the ceiling in the dining hall. She wasn't sure why she trusted them so much, the group she had just recently met. Maybe it wasn't trust, maybe it was just her furious craving that rushed through her veins. She wanted the _truth_, she had to know if this world they had described to her really did exist. Her eyes were better adjusted to the black than theirs, and she found herself helping the stumbling crew along as the ventured further and further into the unknown. She felt like she had been walking for hours, when she saw something at the far end of the tunnel. It was a small torch, only it did not flicker uneasily, it didn't sway hesitantly. Her jaw dropped slightly as the light became stronger and larger as they approached, and she knew then it wasn't a torch. It was far too bright and brilliant to be fire. The growing light illuminated the faces of the people in front of her, and one by one they emerged into the brightness. Aris stood, amazed, as she took a hesitant step out of the mouth of the cave.

The ground on her feet was warm and... s_oft._ She looked down and saw deep green strands of plant all around her, and she knew this to be grass. It felt thick between her toes, lush and full and gifting her with cushion under her weight. The air moved then, suddenly, swaying the grass all around her. The air was so crisp, so fresh, she truly felt as if it had breathed new life into her as she exhaled the stale oxygen from deep within the village. She raised her wide eyes to the water in front of her. She tried to take a deep breath in, but it seemed all air within her lungs was gone. They hadn't been exaggerating; there really was a body of water as far as her eyes could see. It sparkled with far more brilliance than the bits of minerals on the rocks in the cave. She had thought those were the most wonderful things in the world, and without even effort, the sea put it to shame. Lastly, she looked above her. And there it was, so magnificent and holy and deep that no words could describe what she was seeing for the first time. She knew this endless sheet of blue to be the sky. It burnt her eyes to stare at the intense light, but she didn't dare turn away. They stung in their sockets, but Aris feared if she closed them, this dream would disappear forever. She collapsed to her knees, her hands clenching the soft ground and feeling it's smooth textures on her skin. She began to tremble uncontrollably, head hung down as if she'd run out of strength to hold herself up. Sanji knelt down beside her, placing one hand gently on her back reassuringly.

"It's okay if you're scared," he said in a smooth, comforting voice, "it's a lot of a lady to take in for the first time." Aris trembled under his hand, clenching tight fists into the dirt.

"I'm terrified," she whispered, her voice choking out of her throat. A few fat, wet drops fell from her face and landed in dark damp spots that absorbed in the ground, "but it's so _beautiful_."

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**This is was much more difficult than I anticipated. It was a challenge to write about seeing the world for the first time when I see it everyday. I'll revamp this up later, hopefully the sun will come out soon so I can sit outside and try to describe it. I hope you enjoy this short little chapter, even if it still lacks background information. I'll get on that soon, I swear.**


	3. Evidence

**Come out of the cave walking on your hands**

**And see the world hanging upside down.**

**You can understand dependence when you know the maker's hand.

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**

The cold, hard rock slammed against her bare feet, tiny sharp stones lodging themselves into her unprotected flesh. She didn't care; the adrenaline that surged through her did an excellent job of blocking the pain receptors and they only felt like annoying, miniature anchors trying to weigh her down. She heard her name being called from far behind her, bouncing of the clammy cave walls and echoing into hundreds of little voices, all calling her to stop. Even if the pleas actually belonged to an army of hundreds of men, she wouldn't dare stop, or even slow down. This was something the Straw Hat pirates could never understand, yet she hoped they would forgive her for being so brash.

"God dammit!" cursed Zoro, a thick vein bulging in his right temple, "you're supposed to have strong legs, Sanji! Can't you run any faster?" His foot caught a loose rock, causing the swordsman to tumble. He regained his balance in his next step, however, and continued the chase.

"It's not that I can't run faster," the cook hissed, dashing blindly through the darkness, "it's that I can't see two inches in front of me!"

"Does she have night vision eyes or something?" Even in the black, the tone in Luffy's voice indicated he was oogling at the possibility of such an ability.

"No," Misery said through gritted teeth. Running on the hard, uneven ground sent sharp surges of pain with every step, yet she refused to linger behind. "They're just more well adjusted to the dark."

Aris ran as quickly as she could down the narrow, winding path. The breath in her lungs was now polluted with the stale air from deep within the cave, and she felt disgusted. Soon, she couldn't hear the voices of her new found friends behind her. A pane of guilt rushed through her; she didn't mean for them to come after her, and she knew they would be struggling in the dim tunnel. Still, she had to confront Akal, and she couldn't let anyone stop her.

The darkness slowly became illuminated with torches, more and more, until the artificial light showed the way to the main hall. She barreled down the passage, beginning to tremble once more. But this uncontrollable shaking wasn't from fear this time; it was born from rage.

The large double doors of the dining hall swung open and slammed against the cave walls, revealing a panting girl standing in the middle of the doorway, a bead of sweat running down the side of her face.

"AKAL!" The words rose from the bottom of her stomach in a blood curdling scream that surprised even _her._ The dining hall fell silent, all the heads at the tables turned and stared. They all had different expressions; fear, confusion, curiosity... but none of them a more powerful grimace than her. The old man rose from his table, his eyes narrow and cold.

"Aris," he said dryly, "what is the meaning of this?" Aris clenched her fists so tightly she felt she might break her own bones.

"You're a _liar!_" She screamed at him, eyes slowly filling up with tears, "Everything you've said, my whole life- _our_ whole life- it's all been a _lie_!" Murmurs rumbled through the room, but with a stern glance from Akal, they faded into silence.

"I don't know what you're getting on about," he said simply, placing his hands on the table, "but if you're not going to join us in the feast, then I suggest you leave immediately." Aris dug her teeth firmly into her bottom lip.

"There's a thing called _grass!_" Tears began to stream down her face, "and there's a thing called the _ocean!_ It's a pool of water as far as the eye can see! And...there's a thing called the sky..." She sniffed, choking out her words quietly now, "and it's an endless sheet of blue above the world."

"Really?" Akal crossed his arms, "and where's your proof of this? Where's the evidence of this _ocean _and this _sky_?"

"I..." Her voice became uneasy, words fighting against her as if they were afraid to leave her mouth, "They're outside of the cave!" Villagers exchanged confused glances, whispering to one another.

"_She's gone mad!_" She heard them hiss quietly. The scene in front of her became an indistinguishable, fuzzy mess, her tears blurring her vision.

"Aris," a woman stood up from the table, holding up a hand and smiling gently at her, "why don't you come join us? Let's just all forget about this and-"  
"NO!" She slammed her eyes shut, tightening the grip of her clench, "You don't understand! I came out of the cave, and I saw the world! The _real_ world! You can sing all you want, and let your sirens and celebrations of some horrid lie continue, but I won't hear what you have to say! I need freedom! I need to know how to live my life as it's _meant_ to be!"

"ARISTOCLES!" Akal's booming voice made her snap her eyes open, her heart pounding in fright. She had never heard Akal's voice like that, and neither had any other villager. They all looked up at him, terror shining in their eyes. "That's enough! No one wants to hear that, give up on your stupid god damn dreams!"

His anger was so intense, Aris felt as if she could physically reach out and touch it. She felt hope dissolve from her body, leaving her weak. She wouldn't have been surprised if she collapsed at any moment. Why wasn't anyone believing her? Why wouldn't they just follow her and see the beauty she had discovered?

"No one has the right to tell anyone to give up on their dreams, especially not some delusional moron like you." She recognized that voice. That powerful, feminine voice that she knew belonged to the most cunning thief in the world. She fell to her knees then, two arms reaching out to support her before she hit the floor.

"Careful there," the blond cook said, smiling down at her in a teasing manner, "rock isn't as soft as grass, remember?"

"I-I," she began, gazing up at the Straw Hat pirates, slightly surprised they had managed to find their way to the dining hall, "I thought you were going to stop me."

"Why would we stop you?" The captain pounded his fists together excitedly, "we want to help you! Now," he wide grin grew on his face from ear to ear, "who's butt do we kick?"

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**Even though this is a series of one-shots, this story is almost a continuation of the one before it, "Rebirth". I'm actually much more happy with this one, I'm starting to remember the English language again! I feel like my descriptions are getting better, and it's not so vague. But tell me what you think, any advice helps! By the way, if you haven't yet, check out Zweeni's wonderful OP fan fiction called "Written in the Cards". I actually made Aris so I could fit her into the wonderful world Zweeni's created, and her character Misery is mentioned in my one-shots. Thank you so much!**


	4. Announcement

A shrill scream shot out from the crow's nest of the Going Merry so loud and abruptly, passing by seagulls squawked and expelled feathers into the air. Zoro awoke with a start, whipping his head from side to side. Usopp, who had been playing _go-fish_ with Sanji, Misery and Luffy tossed his hand of cards into the air, clenching his heart tightly with a panic-struck face.

"Aris," Nami called up the above, "is something wrong?" They watched as the white haired girl scurried down the main mast with incredible speed. She rushed towards the group with a wide, beaming smile slapped on her face.

"Look!" Enthusiasm poured out her ears, "Look! I don't need sunglasses anymore!" Usopp sighed in relief, falling on his back. Misery looked up at Aris in disbelief. Of all the things to scream about... But seeing how tickled pink her friend was about the simple fact she didn't need to shield her eyes, the black haired girl couldn't be annoyed for long.

"That's great," she raised a fist in the air, which Aris gladly knocked with her own.

"_That's_ what you were screaming about?" Zoro was practically yelling from across the ship, still sitting cross legged on the floor. Aris looked over her shoulder, the cheerful grin still played on her mouth.

"Exciting, isn't it?" She pointed a finger to her eyes, as if he needed help noticing she hadn't been wearing her usual accessory. A pulsing capillary appeared in the middle of the swordsman's head.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" He hollered at her.

"Well, _I'm_ happy for you, angel!" Sanji rose to rise feet, his arms wide open like he were expecting an embrace. "In fact, what do you think about having a crab feast in celebration of this wonderful event?" Luffy pumped his fists into the air, looking as excited (if not more) than Aris herself.

"Yeah, crab!" He cheered, his straw hat falling off his head as he shook it wildly about, "I love crab!" The white haired girl turned to face the small group on the floor.

"I've never had crab before," she said dreamily, imagining the how wonderful that night's dinner would taste. There hadn't been one meal Sanji had cooked that hadn't been anything less than delicious. As Sanji made his way to his kitchen, Aris sat down and took his place in the card game. They had taught her how to play a few days after she had left her island them and she was delighted how simple yet entertaining cards were.

The rest of the evening passed quickly, consisting of Usopp's stories, Misery giving everyone a tarot reading, and Aris nearly plummeting off the crow's nest by leaning too far over. In no time, Sanji emerged from the kitchen, dusting off his hands triumphantly. "Dinner," he said, bowing in the direction of the three girls on the boat, "is served." In a flash, Luffy's arms shot out and grabbed the railing of the upper deck, sending himself flying towards the kitchen. He was abruptly, however, by a foot in the face. "Ladies first," the cook said sourly. Aris, Misery and Nami walked over their dramatically sprawled out captain and into the kitchen. An intoxicating aroma drifted into their nostrils as soon as they had entered. Aris' eyes were practically sparkling when she saw the dishes of whole, freshly steamed crab piled up on top of each other in a mouth watering mound.

The crew took their seats as Sanji present a tray of tropical, fruity drinks and passed one to each of them. "Since the meal is dedicated to Aris," he began, "she gets to taste first." But to no one's surprise, Luffy had already plowed through half of his crustacean. Aris smiled as she raised a claw to her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes grew wide as she swallowed.

"It's so good! Thank you, Sanji!" she dug her teeth into her food, hungrily chewing. Sanji happily sat down, hearts practically floating from his being.

"Of course, my angel!" he gushed in a manner that made both Zoro and Misery roll their eyes in unison. But they had to admit, the man knew how to cook. Aris had finished her plate and was going for round two when a strange feeling overcame her. She took a slurp of her drink to drown it, but it quickly rose back up. She took a larger, more urgent gulp, hoping now one would pay her mind. Misery, however, noticed the shaking hands of the white haired girl beside her.

"Hey," she whispered discreetly as to not embarrass her friend, "you okay?" Aris licked the top of her tingling mouth.

"Oh no, I'm fine," she whispered the reply back. A few minutes passed and the tingling turned into a light burning. Again she tried to drown it with her drink, but to her horror, her cup was empty. The light sensation had turned to wild fire in her mouth, so strong it caused her eyes to shine over with tears. She needed something, _anything_ to put these flames out...

She shot her arm out and snatched Misery's drink, swinging her head back and throwing the contents of it into her mouth. Misery exclaimed a shocked "hey!" before noticing how panicked Aris was. She blinked at the girl beside her, who slammed the empty glass on the table with much more force than she had intended. The rest of the crew jerked their heads up from their meal, all equally shocked when they saw the seamstress flailing her hands madly in the air. Her mouth was hung open like a dog's on a scorching summer's day. "...Aris?" Misery asked slowly, concern and surprise in her tone. Aris turned her head to Misery, a look of desperation in her eyes.

"Water!" She was practically choking out the words, panting and fanning her mouth. The black haired girl slowly raised a finger to the door on the far end of the room.

"The sink's in the-" before she could finish, Aris shot up from the table and barreled to the other room, slamming her shoulder into the swinging door to reach beyond it. When she disappeared, the Straw Hat pirates slowly turned their heads to their cook, all with the same "what the hell did you do?" look in their eyes. Sanji blinked down at his crab, puzzled. He hadn't put anything overwhelmingly spicy in the sauce; he knew Aris still had delicate taste buds. Chopper stood up from the table, pushing himself of his chair.

"I think I know what the problem might be," he said before walking into the other room as well. When Aris lifted her head from the running water to look over her shoulder, the reindeer knew immediately his hunch was correct. "Come on, Aris." He gently tugged her shirt with his tiny hoof, "I'll give you antibiotics to ease the inflammation." The door swung open as the medic lead his friend out of the room. The crew's jaw fell open. Sanji's cigarette dropped from his mouth and extinguished on his plate. Aris' lips were swollen like a puffer fish, bright red and ready to burst. Chopper waved his free hoof at everyone dismissively. "It's just an allergic reaction to shell fish," he told them. Nami popped the cook in the back of his head so hard he jerked forward.

"Way to go, idiot!" She spat.

"H-how was I supposed to know?" He answered defensively. If Aris was trying to smile, no one could tell. She shook her head and tried to say in her usual chipper tone, "Don't worry, I'm fine", but she sounded like she was attempting to speak french without consonants. The deer and the swell fish of a seamstress made their exit, heading to the girl's bunk. By the next day, her lips would be back to their normal size. But her new found fear of crustaceans would stay with her to the death.

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**Ending's a little rushed here (I ran out of good ideas for an ending and kind of gave up), but the prompt for this was Announcement. And then I went off on a tangent, forgive me!**


	5. Reunion

It had been two long, grueling years since she had seen or heard from any of the Straw Hat pirates. A great sadness came over her every time she thought about her old crew-mates; not only because of the distance between them, but the fact that over time, their faces in her memory had turned into blurs. She remembered all their hardships, all their happiness and all their growing together. Their figures stood strong in her mind, their emotions still lingering in her heart. But in spite of all this, it hurt her terribly to no longer know their faces.

She had appeared on this island, landing on the outskirts of the town. She scurried to her feet, whipping her head from left to right. Had this really happened? She had tried her best to protect them, to protect _him_, and yet she was the first to go. She pinched the bridge of her nose hard, remembering the events that had led up to now. That big _thing,_ the Goliath, the Pacifista, had obliterated all of the Straw Hats to the ground. They had looked pathetic, like ants being crushed one by one in the hand of a child. Her ribs had been severely fractured by a hard blow, and she lay limply on the ground. She the sound of furious battle cries, of slashing swords, of hard flesh on flesh impact, and then nothing. The forest fell quiet, only the sounds of panting and painful moans could be heard. Aris' eyes widened as she heard footsteps venturing further from her. He hadn't been coming towards her, which meant...

With all the effort she could muster, she lifted her ringing head. Everything was fuzzy, a chaotic mess, but she squinted her eyes as hard as she could to make them focus. A wild hurricane of terror spun and tore up the insides of her stomach, threatening to rip her apart at the seams. She watched in horror as the towering Pacifista made his way to the injured swordsman. It sent a whirlwind of rage through her body as she watched him approach nearer and nearer. _No,_ she cursed in her mind_, _trying with all her might to haul herself up, _take me instead! _She lifted her upper half off the ground, but her right leg would not move. She tried with every fiber of her being, but the damned thing wouldn't budge. In fact, it hung awkwardly out of place, too far separated to her hip for it to be normal. It hadn't been broken, she knew by quickly scanning her eyes over it. It must be dislocated. The great bear of a man slowly made his way towards the green haired man, all those who could help in the same predicament as he. Aris had to do something, _anything_ to buy him time. She joined her hands together in a tight grip, hands shaking with exhaustion and fear. She slammed her eyes shut, and with a shrill cry slammed her joined fists into her leg. There was a loud crack, like something of the wrong shape being forced into a frame. The pain that surged through her made the world turn white around the edges, voices becoming more muted and muffled as she scrambled to her feet. She darted in front of Zoro, arms wide spread like a human shield. The voices of the world slowly came back to her, all screaming her name. But above all, she heard his voice roar above all others, screaming, "ARIS!"

That had been the last thing she heard before she ended up at the island.

The tattoo Luffy bore in his Wanted poster told her they were to meet up in two years. Since that day, Aris had been trying her hardest to improve herself. She had stumbled in a village that was far more advanced in technology than she could have ever imagined. Luckily, the top researcher on the island had taken her under his wing; fixed her up and taught her all he could about his studies. In the those two years, she had mastered and revamped the science of magnetic fields. She tore it apart from the ground up, knowing everything she could inside and out. She had developed a new needler, one that could retract it's needles, making it more deadlier than ever before. She had also worked on her speed and accuracy with great dedication. She was no where near strong enough to take on a Pacifista, and she doubted she ever would be. But if she was swift and stealthy, she could be a useful tool in battle. She knew this, and she dedicated every day of those two years to accomplish this.

Two years had passed and she was now of the shore of Sabaody Archipelago, as if it had been yesterday that they separated from each other. She wondered how much they had all changed; even she had both mentally and physically evolved. She wasn't the same, clueless girl she had been. She was now a master of magnetic fields, she knew all the technicalities she would never have dreamed of learning before. She walked along the shores of the island, smiling to herself. How surprised they would be to see all she knew now, to see how much she changed from being the girl out of the cave. Then, she saw it. In all it's glory, in all it's beauty, the Thousand Sunny floated on the surface of the grand ocean. She had a new appreciation for it's name; she felt as if a thousand suns burned into her core in a blazing fire of pure joy. She ran with all the might her legs were muster up the rope ladder and on the deck. She was the first one to leave and the last one to arrive.

Her training in stealth was not in vain, she stepped onto the deck without anyone hearing a sound. They were all there, different than they had been. All older, wiser in their own way. She bit down on her quivering bottom lip, salty rivers over flowing from her eyes and dripping from the sides of her face. He had his back to her, but she undoubtedly knew the identity of the man a few yards away. He was taller, much thicker and older than she had remembered, but it was him.

She pushed her feet off from the wood floor as hard as she could, charging at the swordsman like a flash of lighting. Before he could turn around, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, pushing her face into his back and crying with joy. The scene replayed before her eyes; the world became white around the edges and all sounds around her became muted. Slowly, however, the voices returned to her, all saying her name. But above all others, she heard his voice floating gently into her ears, "Aris."


	6. Monster Ball pt 1

_That's four down,_ Aris thought smugly to herself from the roof of the tall building. Sure, she wasn't very good at hand-to-hand combat. And sure, she couldn't dodge a tortoise wearing a pink jumpsuit from a mile away to save her life. But the girl had sharp eyes and good aim, and she was a force to be reckoned with from a safe distance. She pulled her sling-shot's string back, looking in between the "Y" created by the joined pieces of wood as a scope. She quickly released, lodging a large needle with torpedo-like accuracy into the back of an enemy pirate.

It seemed every town they made port in, something was threatening the safety of the village. This time, a pirate leader who went by the name of the _Mad Manatee_, was trying to rob this town of it's wealth. Aris never really understood why their Captain was so head-strong about helping each island in need, but it was something she admired about him. The citizens of this town made it very clear they hated pirates, they hated _them_, yet Luffy was determined to save them. And now here they were, head to head with these villains, once again risking it all for the safety of the island.

From far below, she heard a shout vibrate through the air. "_Gum gum_," Aris peeked over the ledge of the building. Whenever she heard _gum gum_ anything, she knew the fight was as good as over. And judging by the rubber arms stretching out as far as they could, she wouldn't need to snipe anyone else down for very much longer. With a thundering "BAZOOKA", the robust man with the striking resemblance of a manatee propelled through the air. His underlings stood frozen with gaping mouths and bulging eyes as their captain crashed into their ship. They slowly turned their heads to face Straw Hat Luffy, blinking in utter bewilderment before galloping back to their boat, turning their sails and sailing as far as the could from the island.

Aris exhaled a satisfied sigh. Even if it was just the eight of them, the Straw Hat pirates always emerged victorious, no matter who their enemies were. A pleasant smile creeped on her face as she saw villagers poke their heads out of far off windows. They had the same expressions as the defeated pirates, mouth hung open in shock. A window creaked open from a few feet below her. Aris peered down at the man who craned his neck out the window, unaware of the girl on the roof above him. "W-we're... We're saved!" He gasped, watching the enemy ship become nothing more than a speck on the horizon. "I can't believe it, we're actually _saved_!"

Aris rose to her feet, dusting off her lavender shirt. Something told her that the citizens of this town would toss their hostile feelings towards herself and her crew mates. She turned around and headed for the opposite end off the building -where the ladder was- when the sound of many thundering footsteps made her pause. Surely, this could not be the villagers rushing towards them. It was just moments ago when she witnessed them emerging from out their windows. And it couldn't be enemy pirates, she had just seen with her own blue eyes their pathetic retreat. If it wasn't the villagers, and it wasn't the pirates... She raced over to the east end of the roof and confirmed her suspicion.

"Luffy!" She called from her perch, cupping her hands around her mouth in hopes of amplifying her warning, "Luffy, the marines are coming!" The captain, who had been tending to his exhausted fortune teller, snapped his neck up at the white-haired girl.

"Thanks for the heads up, Aris!" He hollered back at her, somehow managing to shoot her a thumbs up while lifting Misery off the ground and onto his back. She saw his lips form words, though she was too far to hear what he was telling the rest of the crew. When they all nodded and ran off in separate directions, however, she caught on to the plan. She was also very fortunate the buildings around her were built so closely together; it wasn't a problem for her at all to leap the narrow gaps in between them. Now the only problem was who would she follow? She knew right away the best thing for her to do would be to watch over the weakest members of the crew in case they needed assistance. But Luffy had Misery, so she needn't worry about her. Sanji was with both Usopp and Chopper, and Zoro ran along side Nami. Everyone was pretty much covered, so which group should she pick? As the group split down to separate alley-ways, Aris decided it was best to follow Nami and Zoro. If Zoro had to fight off enemies and the thief had to make a break for it, Aris wanted to be reliable back up for them.

But _damn,_ were they fast! Aris hurriedly leaped from one roof top to the other, trying her best to keep up with the two below her. From up ahead, she saw a small platoon of marines charging towards them. Judging by the coat the woman wore, it appeared to Aris that an officer was at the head of the rampaging heard. Looks like she _had_ made the right decision. Before she could shout down to them, the swordsman spotted them and skid to a halt. He shoved Nami down an alley way, shouting something that Aris could not understand before the orange haired girl took off away from the group. Aris was about to follow her, when she noticed something strange from the ground below. Was it just her imagination, or was Roronoa Zoro... flustered?

Nami would be fine. Judging by the speed she was going, she was probably half way to the heart of the city by now. Aris crouched down on the roof directly above the midnight blue haired girl, eyeing the situation curiously. The girl in the blue jacket drew a sword and glared at Aris' green haired comrade from behind her square glasses. And in return, Zoro... was snapping his head left and right looking for an escape route? Zoro _never_ ran away from a fight! He pointed at the girl in front of him, shouting something that Aris _so_ badly wanted to hear, but the words were just out of ear shot. Zoro slapped a hand to his eyes, blocking the girl from his sight.

"Hide that face!" Aris heard _that_. The bob-cut girl looked appalled (Aris would go as far to say offended) by his words. She shouted back something in retaliation, but it drifted up at Aris as distant gibberish. "The _one_ person I can't handle!" She heard Zoro shout before he darted off down a different alley. Aris felt hot, like flames had been lit from somewhere deep in her soul. Her lungs felt tight, it was difficult for her to breath. Her whole body trembled ferociously as wrath coursed through her veins. Or, at least, she _thought_ it was wrath. Why was Zoro so perplexed about this marine, this _woman?_ She had never seen him act like that towards an enemy before, _especially_ one who wanted a sword fight. All Aris knew was something prevented Roronoa Zoro from confronting this wench, and so it was up to the seamstress to do so. The white-haired girl leaped to her feet and chased after the group of marines. This woman was serious trouble, Aris decided.

Aris got a good 20 yards of distance between her and the Sargent-Major before drawing her sling shot string back. With a trembling hand, she released and sent a needle spiraling towards the four-eyed girl. It narrowly missed, slicing a small tear into her target's jacket sleeve. Damn it, if only she hadn't been shaking so badly!

"Aris, you _idiot!_" She heard Zoro exclaim from below. She looked down to see the swordsman looking up at her, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Aris blinked down at him, completely baffled by his response. Isn't that what she was _supposed_ to do?

"So, you make your team mates do all the dirty work for you," The girl scowled at the green-haired man, unsheathing her sword slowly. "I wouldn't expect any less from the despicable Roronoa Zoro." Something twisted wildly inside Aris' stomach. What was this feeling surging through her? She had never felt anything like this, not even towards Akal in the cave.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea!" Zoro spat at her, quickly turning his head in her direction. But he still wasn't looking the girl in the eye. The seamstress didn't know why this disturbed her so much, but it did. It really, _really_ did. "Go find Nami, Aris," Zoro didn't look at her, but barked his commands, "I can take care of myself."

Aris didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay and make sure that woman got what was coming to her. If she had that kind of affect on her green haired friend, Aris _knew_ this girl was bad news. But Zoro's tone left no room for argument. The seamstress' heart weighed down heavily in her chest as she turned her back to the scene below her. She took a reluctant step away, her whole body weighed down by this unpleasant feeling. Then suddenly she heard the familiar sound of gunfire, and she felt a dull pain begin to throb in her arm. She staggered to her left slightly, only there _was_ no left. As she was plummeting off the side of the building, she heard a mixture of raging wind crash against her ears, Zoro's voice, that marine girls' gasp of terror, and then nothing.

* * *

**Gaga's Monster Ball is here and I didn't get to go, to explain the name of this story. I'm not sure how many parts there will be to this, but definitely more than three. **


	7. Monster Ball pt 2

Sound returned to Aristocles before her vision did, and so she lay where she was as if she hadn't been returning back to consciousness. The stench of garbage floated around her and she realized Lady Luck must've allowed her to crash into a dumpster. As awful as the stink was, Aris was ever so thankful to have landed in trash instead of the hard, concrete ground.

"Stop, please stop this!"

Aris' eyes tried to flutter open, but they were still too heavy. Feeling had begun to tingle back into her limbs. She was _definitely_ in a dumpster, the filth of seeping, busted trash bags stuck to her skin like a film. Maybe it was better if she didn't open her eyes.

"We know it's your duty, Sargent-Major Tashigi, but as Mayor of this town I cannot let you harm these pirates!" The voice sounded far away, like it was just out of the silver-haired girl's reach, but she heard his plead clearly. "They have protected us from Mad Manatee, and we are in debt to these people. I cannot allow you to treat them like this!" There was a long period of silence.

"B-but, Sir," She heard the voice of the four-eyed woman, "each one of these pirates has a bounty of over a-"

"I don't care about that!" The voice became more distinguished, it had a raspy quality that Aris knew belonged to an older man. "I will not allow any harm to come to them, this is not how Polty Island shows their gratitude!"

A hand touched Aris' wrist, pulling her up slightly before an arm wrapped around her waist and gently lifted her out of the dumpster. She tried again to open her eyes, this time successful. Tashigi looked at Aris with her dark eyes, worry twinkling from behind her square frames, then turned her head back to the older man in front of her. The officer clicked her heels together and ducked her head in a bow.

"I know, Sir, but as a ranked marine I can't allow these criminals-"

"Don't worry about it," Aris felt the voice vibrate beside her. "We were done with our business here, anyway." Sanji shifted Aris slightly, causing her to jerk alert with tenderness only the over amorous cook could be capable of. The mayor's eyes scanned over the filth covered Aris, eyes widening slightly when he saw her wound.

"You're hurt," he reached a hand out to her, though he was yards away. His eyes were aged, wise and kind. They made the drowsy seamstress feel calm, and for a moment she forgot about the dull throbbing pain and the garbage gunk glued to her skin. "Please, let me take you to one of our doctors."

"It's okay, old man," Sanji gave him a small smile, "we've got a doctor on our ship. We don't want to trouble you any further." The mayor opened his mouth to protest, but Aris stopped him.

"He's the best doctor in the sea," She interrupted, a weak smile forming from the corners of her mouth. The mayor paused and looked at both her and Sanji, appearing as if he were trying to figure out if they were lying or not. After a few seconds, he bowed his head in their direction.

"Tell your captain I am eternally grateful for what he's done," he spoke quietly, as if it were some secret shared only in that alley. "We will never forget the Straw Hat pirates." Aris felt a warm feeling in her center, like she had found some sort of greater peace within herself. Her friends were good people, and she was happy to have them. This calmness didn't help her fight away her urge to sleep, however, and soon she slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

**I'll make up for this chapter being so short by making the next one three times as long, mark my words! **


	8. Monster Ball pt 3

This time she awoke in a much more pleasant environment. The sheets were clean and fresh underneath of her, and the air smelt sterile and crisp. She rolled her head to the side, blinking her eyes to help them focus. Chopper was at the far end of the room, grinding medicines together in a small bowl and humming to himself quietly. Misery sat opposite to her in one of the wooden chairs, legs crossed and picking dirt from under her thumbnail. The ebony haired girl's eyes flicked up at Aris before she lifted her head, an amused smile spreading on her face.

"So you finally decided to join us," she teased, letting her hands fall loosely on her lap. Chopper turned his head and looked over his shoulder, then resumed his grinding. "You were out cold. Nami and I even had to drag you into the shower and hose you down so your wound wouldn't get infected. Not to mention the fact that you smelt like death." Aris' face turned a little red, slightly embarrassed by herself. Then she blinked and lifted her arm, looking at the bandage wrapped around it.

"I was shot," she spoke out loud, more to herself than to the two others in the room, "will it scar?"

"No," she heard Chopper say from across the room, not looking away from his work, "It's not deep at all. It barely broke the skin, actually. It was probably the fall you took that shook you up more than anything. That was your first time being shot before, right? It's really scary, huh?" Aris wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed in herself.

"You really _are_ a light weight," Misery laughed before gently tapping Aris on the forehead with her knuckles. "But I'm glad you're feeling better. Come out whenever you're feeling up to it, okay?" And with that, the Oracle rose from the chair and made her exit. Aris sat up in the small bed, gathering her long hair together in a ball and tying it in her usual bun. The crunching sound of pills being shattered into powder was the only noise in the quiet room now. The seamstress' mind wandered in the silence, thinking of the events that lead up to where she was now. And then the thought of that marine, of Tashigi, creeped it's way into her brain like an unshakable parasite. The thought of the normally unstoppable Roronoa Zoro becoming flustered in her presence... Aris slowly rose from the bed. She needed some air before the strange feeling over took her as it had back in the village. She thanked Chopper for his assistance, then she too left the room.

Almost immediately, she wish she would have stayed in the quiet.

"You spent _how_ many berris?" The explosive screech echoed out into the air. Luffy lay dramatically on the floor, a half gnawed chicken leg hanging out of his mouth. Nami stood over him, fist still hanging in the air from the blow she dealt to her captain. "And on _what?_" Luffy turned his head to answer, but the orange haired girl dealt him another punch to the noggin. "You know what? I don't even want to hear it. All I know is we're completely out of money now!"

"Don't you have like, six treasure chests in your room?" Usopp leaned back on the Going Merry's rail, wiping his brow with his forearm. The ship had been damaged slightly in the last fight, and it looked as if the marksman had just finished the last bits of repairs.

Nami turned and glared at the long nosed man, nostrils flaring in anger. "That's. My. Treasure." The dry tone she used made Usopp spin around and continue whistling and hammering away, though the ship didn't need it, and act like he hadn't pointed out that fact at all. Nami glared at the back of his head before she got an expression of realization. Aris could practically see the gears grinding in the thief's head. "Wait a second," she spoke out loud to herself before dashing into the girl's quarters. She emerged a few moments later, holding the newspaper she had picked up while they were making port in the last town. She flipped the pages frantically, eyes quickly scanning each one. A wide smile spread across her face as she slapped the open newspaper she held in her hand. "You guys sure are lucky to have someone like me on board," she flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling cockily, "Gorgeous, kind _and_ smart!"

"Don't forget modest," Zoro chimed in with an eye roll, laying with his arms folded behind his head against the ship's rail.

"What do you have there, Nami?" Luffy sprang up, peeking at the newspaper in the Navigator's hands like he hadn't just been assaulted by her.

"This," she winked at the rubber man, "is how you're going to get my money back." She turned her head in Aris' direction, pointing at the room she had just emerged from. "Aris, do me a favor and go get Chopper. We're having a meeting." Aris nodded quickly, then hurried back into the room where her reindeer friend was currently stationed. When they both came out, everyone was gathered around the middle of the deck, all eyes on the article in the paper that Nami's finger was stabbing. Aris walked over and peered at the paper with interest. A black and white photograph of a man in a long, elegant robe-type jacket, sporting a number of awarded medals on his chest, and smiling in an egotistic manner. Even though it was through a photograph, Aris could tell she didn't like this man.

"This is Captain Gorda, a very wealthy marine officer," she explained to her small audience, tapping his photo with a finger. "According to this paper, he's hosting a formal ball at his mansion in Nauru, a small island not too far from here. "

"Good for him," Zoro muttered, gazing down at the article.

"It's obvious this man has lots of money," Nami said, ignoring his comment, "so this should be pretty simple. All we have to do is get into the ball, keep him distracted for a few hours, then leave with a small fortune." She straightened up and put her hands on her hips, smiling happily. "Easy as pie."

"Yeah, that's a fantastic idea," Zoro rolled his eyes, "but did you forget we're wanted fugitives with bounties on our heads? How do you figure we can get away with going into a marine Captain's home, it's practically walking into the enemies hands!"

"The only one with a bounty is Luffy," The Navigator pointed a thumb in their Captain's direction, "No one even knows about Aris yet. Most of us can walk around fine without being noticed, and since this is going to be such a massive event, we should blend in perfectly."

"The best place to hide a tree is in the forest," Misery thought out loud, eyebrows narrowing before looking up at Nami. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"I'm always serious when it comes to treasure," Nami rolled up the newspaper and slapped it in her hand. "Besides, who will expect pirates to be attending a Marine Ball? Though Chopper would stand out too much, so he'll have to guard the ship."

"Will there be food?" Luffy looked around the group, eyes begging for an answer. Instead, he got a swat with the rolled up newspaper.

"You just worry about getting the money you owe me," Nami said in a low growl. She jerked the paper up and pointed it in Aris' direction, causing the seamstress to jump nervously. "It's in a two weeks. We'll be making port at the next island to pick up supplies, do you think you can pick up some fabric and make us all outfits?"

Aris blinked at the orange haired girl, mouth slightly hung open. "Y-yeah, I could do tha- Wait..." She raised her hands and counted on her fingers. _Me, Nami, Sanji, Misery..._ "You want me to make seven outfits in two weeks?"

"They have to look good, too." Nami returned her fist to her hip, still clutching the paper. "Do you think you can handle it?"

Aris gulped down a ball of anxiety. Two weeks would mean she had a little over a day each to complete one outfit. They would be making port two days from now, where Aris could purchase all the fabric she needed. She looked up at Nami, giving her a small smile. "I'll do my best."

"We're seriously going to do this?" Zoro looked at the Navigator in disbelief.

"Oh, Nami, you're so clever!" Sanji swooned towards her, hands clasped under his chin. "We'll be the best looking couple there!"

"Okay, time to plan," Navi shoved the obsessed cook off of her, "I'll work on how we take the money. You all," she waved her hand at the crew, "get ready to make port in two days. We'll be picking up supplies then." She turned her back to the crew, then disappeared down the hatch into the girls quarters. Aris sighed, then slouched down on the deck. Two weeks...

"You sure have your work cut out for you," Misery sat next to her, rubbing her eyes. "I don't even know how we even get sucked into her ridiculous scams." Aris laughed, then turned her head to face the fortune teller. She could be quite cynical at times, but the seamstress really did enjoy Misery's company.

"Yeah, I'll have to hurry when we make port. I need as much time as I can get."

"I'll go with you," she heard the voice of the swordsman who was leaning against the Going Merry's rail, "I need to pick up a few things myself, since I never got the chance yesterday." The memory of Zoro and Tashigi flooded back to her, causing the frustrated sensation that had subsided to rise back up in her heart.

"No, I'd rather go alone." The words slipped out of Aris' mouth without her digression. She immediately wish she hadn't said anything. Misery tilted her head slightly and raised an eyebrow at the silver-haired girl. "I-I mean," she sputtered hurriedly, "I doubt what you're looking for is near where the fabric store is, and I really do need to hurry there and then hurry back to get working." She laughed nervously, crossing her fingers for the small chance neither of them had detected the bitterness in her first comment. Instead of a response, an awkward silence filled the air. No such luck. The seamstress scrambled to her feet, clearing her throat. "I-I better get started on drawing out designs," she bid them a hasty farewell, then rushed into the girls' quarters as well.

Once the flustered Aris disappeared out of sight, Misery turned her head to look over her shoulder at the swordsman, a suspicious look painted on her face. "What did you do?"

"Me?" Zoro looked slightly shocked, "why do you automatically assume I did something?"

"I've been your friend for _how _long?" Misery stood, patting off the dirt from her dress before leaning backwards, stretching. Zoro grumbled to himself, turning around and taking a step in the direction of the upper deck.

"She's probably just upset I let her fall in the garbage or something," he waved his hand dismissively, adding a yawn for affect. "She'll get over it." Misery shook her head in disbelief as her eyes followed the green haired man up the stairs where he scoped out a place for his afternoon nap. Roronoa Zoro was a master at fighting and sleeping, but he was completely obtuse when it came to directions and women. She knew Aris well enough to know she wouldn't get upset over something as trifle as landing in a dumpster. The fortune teller sighed, then turned her head in the direction of the girls' room. If that swordsman wasn't going to talk to her, then Misery figured she had no choice.

* * *

**Looking back on it, I should have put part 1 and 2 together. I'll get hurrying on part 4!**


	9. Tears

It had been a while since the Straw Hat pirates made port at an island. Aris was thankful they had stopped; she loved sailing on the Going Merry, but it could get a little overwhelming at times. Just the other day she was absolutely certain Misery was about to toss Luffy into the ocean, but was too intimidated by the fortune teller's rampage to intervene. She couldn't even remember why that argument had broke out... Oh, yeah. Luffy had sneezed on Misery's tarot cards in the middle of a reading. A fond smile curled the corners of Aris' mouth at the thought of her friends. She hadn't known them for very long, but they were her treasures and she honestly couldn't picture life without them.

"What're you thinking about?" Usopp's question made her look up from her glass of water she had been peering into like a mirror. "Is there a bug in the water or something?" Aris looked at him and laughed warmly. Out of all the crew, Usopp was the most, well, laid back to be around. She didn't have to worry about him dragging her into trouble, causing a scene or intimidating her. The two of them had decided to eat lunch at a near by tavern while the others finished up their shopping for the evening and were now finishing the remainders of their meals.

"Excuse me, ma'am," a voice from beside her called. She turned her head to look up at the man standing next to her, rubbing the back of his neck and smiling a little embarrassed. "Sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't happen to know where the library is, do you? I'm not from around here, and I don't really know my way around this place."

Usopp could see the curious gleam in the seamstress' eyes. _Don't say it, Aris_! He silently begged, knowing the potential embarrassment that would be brought to her if she did. He would explain it to her later, without anyone being able to listen in. Before giving her the chance, he turned to the man and quickly replied. "We're not from around here, either, sorry." He flashed his eyes to Aris, who had apparently lost interest and was now swishing the water in her glass. He let out a mental sigh of relief. He knew some ass would poke fun of her sooner or later, but he hoped he could postpone it as long as possible. Especially not now, with a full tavern.

'You haven't even passed by something that looked _remotely_ like a library?" The man frowned, obviously disappointed. Aris turned her head back to look up at the man, still holding the cup in her hand.

_Don't say it, don't say it..._

"What's a library?"

She said it.

The man looked down at her, blinking his eyes as if he were trying to get a double take of the girl's curious expression. He slowly dropped his hand from the back of his neck and it hung limply at his side. "Are you..." He turned his head to Usopp and pointed a finger at Aris. "Is she being serious?"

"It is a famous landmark or something?" The silver haired girl couldn't understand what the problem was. When she had asked Luffy, Nami, even Zoro what something was, they gave her a prompt explanation. But instead of answering her, the man began to laugh, slapping his hand to his forehead and leaning back as he cackled.

"What kind of stupid village do you have to be from to not know what a_ library_ is?" He howled, shoulders rocking back in laughter. Usopp narrowed his eyebrows and glared at him firmly.

"Hey, jerk, why don't you just mind your own bus-"

"I mean, seriously! Did you just crawl out from under a r_ock _or somethin-" Before he could finish, a cold splash of water hit his face and caused him to fall silent in shock. Usopp blinked, then slowly turned his head to face the girl opposite him. Aris was standing, arm still extended from flinging the contents of her drink in the drenched man's face. She gripped the glass so hard her blood in her knuckles had disappeared, leaving them white as bone. Her face was a deep red, probably from embarrassment or anger, or a fair amount of both. She shook slightly before setting the glass back on the table, ducking her head so her face was covered by her ivory bangs.

"Aris..." Usopp began, but the girl pivoted on her heel and ran out of the tavern, leaving the doors swinging and she went. Usopp stood too, dropping berris on the table for payment and heading after her. When he stepped outside, she was nowhere to be seen. The girl was fast, he'd give her that much, but he was the Great Captain Usopp. Eyes of an eagle, tracking ability of a trained canine. It wouldn't take him long to find her. And after searching for a few minutes on the outskirts of town, he did.

She sat in the shade of a great tree, knees brought up to her chest and arms wrapped around them. Her face was buried in her folded knees, shoulders trembling slightly as she wept. Usopp quietly walked towards the tree and then sat down next to her, crossing his legs indian style in the cool grass. Aris ignored his presence, continuing to cry softly to ease her frustration. Usopp placed a hand on her back and rubbed it comfortingly, trying to help in the only way he knew how.

"Hey there, it's okay. You shouldn't cry over an idiot like that." He spoke to her softly, trying to see through her crossed arms. Aris slowly raised her head, sniffling and looking at Usopp with reddened eyes, cheeks still wet from tears that continued to fall. It broke his heart to see any of his friends cry, but the hurt that the seamstress was feeling tore him up a little inside. The girl wouldn't do anything to hurt a fly, and deeply cared more about everyone's feelings than anyone he knew. It was unfair for anyone to talk down on her like that.

"Why would he say that?" she choked out, wiping her eyes with her hand, "why would he purposely make me feel like an idiot?" The marksman handed her a rag from inside his bag, which she took and blew her nose into.

"Remember when Akal told you the world was cruel?" He began, placing both hands on his knees. "Well, he wasn't lying. The world is full of uncaring, rude, detached people. And that was only one guy, there's a million more who are a trillion times worse than he is." Aris frowned, dabbing her eyes with the wet rag. She had secretly hoped Akal had been making that up, but it was an obvious truth. However, Usopp wasn't finished. "But just like how you'll run into those cruel people, you'll also run into people like Luffy, Sanji, Misery, the whole crew. And if you ask me, just being around one kind heart makes up for a life time of nasty people. And who knows? Maybe if you're kind enough, you'll change a few hearts. That's what I hope for, anyway."

Aris nodded, soaking up all the words the marksman was saying to her. Maybe she had been over reacting slightly to that man's insult, but it was the first time anyone had truly made her feel brainless. She tried to gather all the courage within her to ask the question, a little afraid of the answer.

"Usopp," she said quietly, "do you think I'm stupid?"

A burst of laughter surprised Aris and she jerked her head to look at the long nosed man with wide eyes. "Now _that,_" he said, grinning at her, "was a dumb question." He ruffled her hair slightly, still smiling. "No, Aris. I don't think you're stupid, and neither does anyone else on our crew. You're still learning technical stuff, but you're new to the outside world, so who can blame you? That guy back there probably didn't even know the difference between a python and a viper."

"He probably doesn't know how light a fire in the dark, either!" She beamed, straightening up. "So, you really think I'm intelligent?" The marksman grinned and jabbed his thumb in his chest.

"You're one of the smartest people I know," he winked at her, sitting up tall with his chest sticking out triumphantly. "And if the Great Captain Usopp says so, then it's the truth!"

* * *

**I wanted to try and figure out how Aris would act if she were angry, but then just made this instead. I've been leaving Usopp out of a lot of my stories, so I thought it would be good to give him a little screen time! And yes, a wonderful friendship blossoms. **


	10. Nightmare

_She was running, running as fast as she could through the darkness, the world flashing before her in shimmering minerals on the rock walls. Where had they gone? They had all been right behind her a moment ago, but when she glanced over her shoulder, they had disappeared. They should know better than to run off, especially in a situation like this. The marines had been hot on their trail, the whole reason of venturing into this damp cavern in the first place. This was all her fault, she should have been more careful about them following her. _

_A gust of relief blew through her when she saw the outline of a tall, built man up ahead of her, his shadow dancing on the cave walls by the means of flickering torches. But as she approached, she felt her heart sink in her chest. No, this couldn't be, it wasn't possibly..._

_"Akal?"_

_Her village leader held a large burlap sac over his shoulder, soot and dirt covering his usually clean and well groomed beard. His eyes looked tired, sunken in even, and large dark circles formed under them. _

_"Aristocles, you've finally come back," he said in a light sigh, but his eyes said something opposite. He looked defeated, like he had given up hope. "But it's too late to save us." Aris cocked an eyebrow, not sure what the old man was getting on about, and not particularily interested._

_"Please, Akal, have you seen-" The man raised a hand for her to fall silent, and like she had done as a child, the words immediately quieted. _

_"Look, Aris, these are the fireworks you ever so adore," he told her, gesturing his hand to the wall behind him. Only, now there was no wall. In it's place was a beautiful ocean, the setting sun turning the white sand a marvelous shade of orange. She heard the sound of a fuse being lit, and then the sound of airwaves breaking as the fireworks projected into the sky. However, as the scene continued, the seamstress staggered back in horror. Those weren't fireworks in the sky; they were people. As they reached the highest point, they're limbs and head seemed to rip off of them, splashing into the ocean. Once one had combusted, two more took it's place. Soon, the sea before her was stained a gore-y red, limbs and severed heads bobbing helplessly on it's surface. She was horrified and disgusted, and she could feel her stomach begin to contract in sickness. She doubled over, vomiting into the sand, clutching her stomach in agony. She opened her eyes and gaped down at what lay before her; a pool of blood and her still beating, black heart. _

_"You did this," she heard Akal's voice scold her as he shoved the burlap sac into her face, "now you clean it up."_

"Aris? Hey, Aris!" A gentle shake on her shoulder jerked her into consciousness, her eyes fluttered open in a flurry. She blinked up at the dark eyes that gazed over her, one of her savior's brows raised. "You were having a nightmare or something," he told her, as if she _didn't_ know what she had just dreamed. Regardless, she gave a small relieved smile up at the swordsman, who sat cross legged under the night sky next to her. That's right, she remembered. It had been too hot in the girl's quarters, so she decided to camp outside that night.

"Thanks, Zoro," she told him, laying a hand on her flannel pajama covered stomach, "but, what are you doing ou-"

"I couldn't sleep," he murmured, "thought I'd tour the ship." Aris nodded slowly up at him, head rolling against the Going Merry's deck. Though Zoro not being able to sleep was something she could never imagine, she decided it was better not to pry into his personal reasons. "Here," he quickly added, tossing her a blanket that smelled strongly of the men's quarters. "You're going to catch a cold like that." Aris again nodded in agreement and wrapped herself up in the soft blue blanket. Inhaling deeper, she realized by the scent the blanket belonged to the swordsman himself, though she wouldn't say it out loud in fear of creating an awkward situation. Her eyes followed Zoro as he rose to his feet.

"Thanks for the blanket," she told him, curled up in the warmth. To her surprise, the green haired man walked a few feet away to the Going Merry's railing, sat down and leaned against the siding, and closed his eyes

"Last thing I need," he yawned tiredly, "is your nightmares to wake up the whole ship." Aris let out a small breath of a laugh. She was pretty sure her nightmare wouldn't return any time soon.

"G'night," she heard Zoro grunt beside her, tilting his head back against the ship.. Aris sighed happily, inhaling the fumes of her cocoon.

"Good night."

* * *

**OOC Zoro? It sort of feels like it to me. :X I need to get back in the swing of things! **

**That was totally a real dream I had, by the way. Minus the cave and Akal thing. But human fire works and throwing up your own HEART? One of my more metal dreams, by far.  
**


	11. The Secret Island 1

There weren't very many days of tranquility and bliss when you took up the life of a pirate, so when the rare occasion did arise, the Straw Hats took up most advantage of it. Usopp was hidden away in his workshop, concocting a powerful substance that would "revamp his Tabasco star", laughing in triumph and then squealing in surprise when, as any of them could have guessed, his new experiment back fired. Robin lay relaxed on her lawn chair, sipping on the fruity drink Sanji had given her and reading a thick novel, lounging in the sunshine. Zoro leaned up against the Going Merry's railing, a set of impossibly heavy weights in each hand, lifting them casually as he enjoyed the ocean's salty breeze. Chopper was grinding herbs, Misery was reading the tarot cards she had just spread out, Sanji was working dedicatingly in the kitchen, and Nami was working on yet another portion of her world map. Aris folded her arms against the crow's nest's railing, leaning forward slightly and absorbing as much of the day as she could. Her eyes gazed out into the blue, dancing water before her, the reflecting sun rays making it shimmer like a massive, flowing gem. It was then she noticed the object bobbing in the ocean, the light beaming off of it so brightly, it was actually painful for the seamstress to look at.

"Hey, Luffy," She called down to the man sitting on the ship's figure head, "There's something in the water!" Luffy titled his head up and looked at the girl above him, getting ready to stand up and retrieve it.

"I'll get it, Captain," Robin's smooth voice glided through the air as she stood up, making her way to the side of the ship Aris had been pointing at. Her sapphire eyes spotted the object with ease, and as she reached out her arm, another one sprouted from her palm, and another one from that palm, until a rope of limbs snatched the item and gently tossed it up at the architect. Usopp emerged from his workshop, his usual bandanna absent and wiping the dirt from his cheek with a small cloth. "Here," Robin handed the green sea trash to him, "you do the honors."

"A message in a bottle?" He examined the green glass carefully, rotating it in his hands to view it from all angles. Aris slid down the main mast, quickly jogging towards the group. Zoro turned his head curiously at the people beside him, still lifting the metal bars. The marksman carefully pulled out the cork that had sealed the bottle, sliding his finger inside and with some difficulty, fishing out the rolled up parchment within. He handed the scroll to Robin, who carefully straightened it out. An Eternal Post fell from it's core, but Robin quickly snatched it before it plummeted too far.

"What's it say?" Aris pressed eagerly, excitement radiating from her being.

"If you are," she began, her silk voice the perfect narration, "the pirate of the pirates of the pirates, then bring your trusted partners to this island. The name of the island is... Omatsuri Island."

"Omatsuri Island?" Aris repeated with enthusiasm, looking at the map that was printed on the back of the invitation.

"Yes, Omatsuri Island," Robin confirmed, holding the Eternal Compass in a slender hand and skimming over the invitation with her sharp, cunning eyes, "But I've never heard of that before."

"It must be a trap," Usopp murmured, trying to pull his enlodged finger out of the glass bottle's neck.

"What's Omatsuri Island?" Zoro's interest was now peaked, "They have parties every day or something?" Still clutching the compass, Robin placed her finger on the bold print in the middle of the parchment.

"Please read the following," she read to the group, "Omatsuri Island is the only recreational place on the Grand Line. As it's name implies, every day is a party there. There are many relaxing springs and beauty salons." Nami popped her head out of the woman's cabin, stars practically shining in her eyes.

"Springs and beauty salons?" The Navigator was immediately beside the group, peering over the invitation with beaming interest. "What is that place? It looks nice!"

"Beauties from all over the world will have a good time with you at night?" Usopp rubbed his chin in thought as he read the next line.

"Beauties?" Sanji flew out of the kitchen and loomed over the paper, scanning it with his one gleaming eye, "That's a really good island!"

"And then dinner is a Manchurian-Han Feast," Aris concluded, "I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds delicious!" Chopper, in the blink of an eye, was jumping at Robin, trying to snatch the map.

"What is that? What kind of food is that?" The reindeer had a small river of saliva forming at the corners of his mouth.

"I thought we agreed it was a trap?" Usopp sighed defeated, having a strong hunch where this was going.

"Trap?" Nami spat, grabbing the paper from Robin and inspecting it with her own eyes, "you're so silly! You don't think it's good? There's no problem at all with Omatsuri Island."

"You'll know it's a good island just by it's name," the cook chimed in, placing his hands on his hips, "I can guarantee that!"

"You're so impossible," The marksman mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.

Misery raised her head from her table and turned golden eyes to Luffy, who had remained silent on the sheep's head through out the entire conversation. She rested her chin in her palm, a small smile curling the corners of her mouth. "What should we do, Captain?" A few moments of silence passed between them. "Hey, Luffy." The captain said nothing. The fortune teller let her hand slip and hit the table in a loud thump, making the cards that were spread on it jump out of place. "Luffy, are you listening to me? Luffy!"

"Nami, can you read that again?" Luffy lifted his head, but didn't deter his gaze from the never ending ocean. The Navigator blinked at him, then looked down at the invitation once more.

"Uh, sure. _'If you are the pirate of the pirates of the pirates, then bring your partners to this island.' _"

"Okay," the man in the red vest slapped his folded knee, hauling himself up to his feet, "I've decided." His crew looked at his back expectantly, waiting for his answer. "We'll go to Omatsuri Island." He whipped his head around to face his crew, his signature grin ear-to-ear grin etched on his face. "We are pirates, after all!"

* * *

**I was going to upload this in a separate story by itself, but lo and behold, I can't figure out this error message! **


	12. The Secret Island 2

The days that followed were enjoyable sailing on smooth, calm seas. The Going Merry glided contently past small, tropical islands, the inhabitants watching uneasily as they spotted the jolly roger on the passing ship's main sail. They could rest easy, however. The Straw Hats were on a mission, and they would not be easily distracted from the promising resort that was Omatsuri Island. Aris had barricaded herself in the girl's quarters, working tirelessly on new outfits for everyone to bring with them. After two days of locking herself away, the seamstress emerged holding a small collection of clothes in her arms.

"Hey, everyone!" She called out, tucking her pencil behind her ear in triumph, "Tell me what you think of these!" Slowly but surely, her crew mates set aside what they had been doing and inspected their new attire.

"Hey, I really like this hat!" Usopp smiled, wedging the large cap on his head. Aris dug through her pile and tossed the marksman a pair of loose pants.

"These are the matching bottoms," she told him before handing the rest of the outfits to her crew. Nami pulled a light sundress dress up to her body, grinning before snatching a small, white crop jacket.

"I'll be taking these," she hummed, making her way to the girl's quarters. Sanji and Zoro had changed shirts right then and there, smoothing out the small wrinkles in the fabric.

"Not bad," Zoro noted, rotating his arms in his long sleeved gray shirt. Luffy took his new hooded jacket, beaming joyfully as he slipped it on.

"This is perfect!" He roared excitedly, running in circles around the crew as if to test it's durability. "It's doesn't even have sleeves, it's so awesome!"

"I know how you treat sleeves," Aris mumbled under her breath, remembering the first ever shirt she had made for her captain, and how in fifteen minutes both sleeves had been torn off mysteriously. "I even made something for you, Chopper." She bent down and handed the reindeer a white tee shirt and a complimentary biege coat. The doctor took it eagerly, slipping it on with Zoro's help.

"What about you, Aris? Did you make anything for yo-" Zoro turned his head up at the seamstress, who stood before him moments ago wearing her typical lavender tank top and brown shorts, but now sported a maroon halter top and floral print skirt. The swordsman's demeanor changed almost immediately, scrunching his face up and shouting, "HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO THAT?"

"Do what?" She blinked down at the green haired samurai, unsure what he was so frustrated about. As Misery approached, however, she dropped the subject. "This is for you," she handed the Oracle a carefully folded piece of fabric. The black haired girl unfolded it, revealing a white, collered shirt. "I figured it would go well with your shorts."

"It does," Misery held the top up, smiling pleasantly at it. "I'll go change right away." Folding the shirt over her arms, the fortune teller disappeared into the girls' cabin.

"You have good timing," Robin smiled at the silver haired girl, nodding her chin at the front of the ship. "Looks like we've arrived." At once, Luffy stopped running in loops, skidding to a halt and charging towards the bow of the ship.

"We're here!" His booming exclamation echoed through the air, the birds that had been soaring peacefully in the air sqwaking in surprise and quickly flying away at his announcement. Misery emerged from the girls' quarters rolling up her sleeves and examined the approaching island in front of them, frowning slightly as the view became clearer and clearer. She didn't need to be a fortune teller to know something was off.

"Doesn't it seem, I don't know, a little _desolate_?" She asked as the vision of washed up drift wood and the seemingly wild forest behind it grew closer and closer. Sanji fixed his collar, digging his lighter out of his pocket and igniting his cigarette.

"Well, it never hurts to find out," he replied in a puff of smoke. Misery flashed him a scowl, daggers in her eyes. On the contrary, it _always_ hurt to find out with this band of reckless morons. But Robin had already thrown the ladder down, and half the crew was now on the sandy shore. Misery let go of a small, irritated sigh, but crawled down the ladder as well.

Usopp slouched under the weight of his enourmous backpack, having all the crew's supplies stored away within it. Aris stood beside him, kicking a stray piece of drift wood gently with a black shoe. Sweat beads slowly appeared on the marksman's forehead, and his eyebrow began to twitch nervously.

"This island sure is crowded," he said sarcasticly over the screeching of forest birds, looking at the Going Merry through his aviator sunglasses with longing eyes. Misery was right, they should have just stayed on the ship. Luffy zoomed past the two of them, sending a flurry of sand spraying at their knees and carrying on as he had been on board.

"Maybe the party's over?" Aris suggested, ceasing to nudge the drift wood and turning her head over her shoulder to look at her long nosed friend. "Or maybe this isn't the right island?"

"I'm a navigator," Nami's voiced made them both turn and face her. She stood a few yards behind them, holding the map in her hands and peering at the forest behind her. "Have I ever led you to the wrong place before?" She looked at the map, puzzled, then slid her own large sunglasses over her amber eyes. "No, this is definitely the right island."

"You guys were the ones _so_ determined to come here!" Misery threw her hands up in exasperation. "So enjoy your vacation." She rolled her eyes as her captain darted past her, laughing excitedly like a child in a toy store.

"This place suits anyone who doesn't want to see someone on a holiday," Zoro said dryly, shoving his hands into his pants pocket. Sanji slowly brought his cigarette to his mouth, then sighed another large puff of smoke.

"You're really naggy," he mumbled, flicking the ashes off the end of his cancer stick.

"What did you just say?"

"That's strange," Robin quickly interupted, skimming over the vegetation in the jungle behind her, "I thought flowers were drawn on the map, but I don't see any flowers on this island." Chopper looked up from beside her, nodding slowly.

"Hey, I remember seeing flowers on the invitation, too!" The doctor recalled, now also noticing the absence of petals around them.

"We've been had," Zoro shrugged, making his way back towards Merry, "Let's go back." Chopper gave a small, dissapointed sigh. He had really been looking forward to that Manchurian-Han Feast, but Zoro was right. It would be better to just go back to the ship and forget about this whole, ridiculous prank. The deer took a few small footsteps after him when his ears flickered, causing him to stop in his tracks. Chopper stood in silence, ears twitching slightly as he picked up the faint noise from the forest.

"Do you hear that?" He whispered, queing everyone to fall quiet. Luffy stopped running in circles and cupped both hands to his ears, turning his head like a satelitte to pick up the sound. After a few seconds, he grinned enthusiastically and pointed towards a gap between the large forest trees.

"It came from over there!" The rubberman told them, already rushing towards the direction he had shown them. Misery made an impatient noise with her tongue, then pushed off the sandy beach and followed after him.

"Wait for us, idiot!" She shouted from behind him, trying to catch up to the flash of red a few yards ahead of her. The rest of the crew quickly caught on to the plan, rushing through the jungle in a small herd. Aris leaped over the large protruding roots that snaked through the leafy ground underneath them, finding secret pleasure in splashing through the shallow pools of rain water that were scattered along the way. Nami shoved enormous, damp, dark green leaves out of her path, which recoiled and hit Usopp painfully in the face time and time again. As they followed Luffy through the wild jungle, the sound in their ears grew louder and louder, though they were still unsure of what exactly it was. Misery looked down at the path they had been running on, noticing the different texture slowly emerging with the vegetation. A colorful, brick path slowly revealed itself from under the leaves and roots, and before too long, they found themselves following the winding, narrow road. Almost as if it had snuck up on them, the Straw Hat pirates found themselves in front of a colosal, extravagant city. They all haulted abruptly, nearly falling forward from the momentum, and gaped up at the wonder before them in awe.

It was unlike anything they had ever seen before. The buildings were colorfully decorated, but the scheme was in no way tacky; more so vibrant. A towering ferris wheel spun in the sky, lights flashing welcomingly at the new guests. It appeared as if a whole carnvial was behind the decorative walls, many brilliantly decorated towers and moving contraptions filled the skyline before them.

"Springs and beauty salons," Nami gasped, gawking at an elegant glass building with a beautiful, prestine fountain in front of it.

Sanji bit his lip, his visible eye shining with amazement at the foreign statues and cultural landmarks gathered throughout the town. "Beauties from all over," he practically choked out, his orange sunglasses sliding slightly down the bridge of his nose.

"Manchurian-Han Feast," Chopper's jaw was in very, very grave danger of touching the stone ground beneath him. Sanji's shoulders rocked as he chuckled slightly, his hands rolling up into tight fists.

"Is this..." he began, not being able to pull his gaze away from the wonder before him, "...a dream come true?" Aris felt her heart thump excitedly in her chest, eyes widening at the sight she was taking in. She spun her head to face the swordsman behind her, who was casually observing the large mechanical wheel rotating in the sky.

"This looks like it was dreamed up," the seamstress gasped as soon as she was able to find her voice. Misery crossed her arms in front of her, smiling at the vibrant city. Finally, this was the break they deserved.

* * *

**What happens here? The first part is about them excitedly changing outfits, and the next they find a huge town? So much action, it's unbelievable! **


	13. The Secret Island 3

Sanji snapped his head excitedly to the side, having a sixth sense for knowing when events such as this were about to occur. The crew watched as a line of slender, delicate figures stepped out on either side of the brick path, covering their faces with large, light pink feathered fans that matched their short, white dresses. A small, seductive smile grew on the cook's lips as he tilted his head down, slowly pushing his large glasses back up his nose with his middle finger.

"Come into my arms, amber bea-" The figures in the dresses slid their fans away from their faces, revealing the show "girls" to be mustached-wearing men, almost all identical in appearance. They held the fans in front of them, creating a barrier to the main gates. In a flash, Sanji clenched his hand in a fist, anger boiling deep from inside him. "Just what the hell-"

"Look!" Luffy slapped a hand on the blond haired man's shoulder, shoving him over to get a better view. "They have leaves growing out of their heads!"

"Here too," Misery commented, noticing the crowd of clapping citizens that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Same here. What's with these guys?" Usopp took a step back towards the group, feeling quite out numbered by the sea of celebrating sprout-tops. The up beat music began playing faster, and the pink fans began to separate from each other, until finally the entrance could be seen again. The pirates gasped as three large creatures, equipped with decorative blankets and bells, marched with thundering steps towards them.

"W-w-what are-" Aris' eyes bulged, jaw dropping at the site of the mammoth animals.

"Elephants," Robin told her, looking at the approaching animals in amazement. The middle elephant, they quickly noticed, had a large umbrella being held above it, casting a comfortable shade to the riders on it's back. Luffy brought a hand to his eyes, shielding the sun himself, before pointing and turning to the architect.

"Look, he has a flower on his shoulder!" He shouted, catching Robin's interest. She squinted her almond shaped eyes to see the man in the distance, but she spotted it. A tiny, colorful flowers swayed on the man's shoulder, a tiny- she'd go as far to say cute- smile on it's stigma.

Suddenly, the drums silenced their beating. The large elephants came to a halt, and the crowd around the Straw Hats hushed instantaneously. It looked like the man in the middle was about to make an announcement.

"Pirates!" The tall man with weird, palm tree like hair called out, "Brave pirates who cross the Grand Line!" Luffy's smile grew even larger as he pointed a finger up at himself.

"That's me!" He shouted, waving his hand in the air like he desperately wanted to be called on by a teacher, "_It's me! It's me! It's me!_" Misery blinked her eyes at the rubber man in disbelief.

"Shut it!" She hissed, assaulting him in the back of his head with a quick flick.

"Welcome to Omatsuri Island," the man continued, spreading his arms open the the group in front of him, "I'm Baron Omatsuri."

"Baron Omatsuri?" The group repeated simultaneously. He had a whole island named after him?

"Yes, I'm the master of this island. I'll be attending to you."

Sanji, Nami and Chopper grinned excitedly with stars in their eyes.

"The long journey must have been tough," Baron Omatsuri shouted out, "Relax and enjoy yourselves. Party to your heart's content!"

The three of them clasped their hands together, barely able to wait for the blissful paradise that lay beyond those gates.

"But before that," The Baron crossed his arms in front of his chest, "you must... undergo a test from hell!" Zoro jerked his head towards the man on the elephant, a serious expression covering his features.

"Test?" He said in a breath, more to himself than anyone else. Sanji, Nami and Chopper froze, the happiness they had been celebrating quickly fading away. Usopp took another step backwards, sweat beads appearing on his forehead. Aris gulped, slinking closer to her group for comfort. Misery crossed her arms disapprovingly, putting most of her weight in one leg. So much for the vacation.

"Don't you think this is strange?" She whispered to the crew, hoping get an agreement or some confirmation they would leave, but they said nothing in response. The Navigator bit her lip before throwing her hand in the air to get the Baron's attention.

"M-May I ask?" She called out to the man on the elephant. He dipped his head in a nod, and the thief continued, "On the invitation it says there are springs and beauty salons."

"And beauties from all over the world," Sanji added, scowling and the frauds in the short white dresses.

"And a Manchurian-Han Feast," Chopper told him hopefully, having been sitting on the shoulders of both Nami and Sanji. From on top of the elephant, the Baron's eyes shot nervously to the side, a small sweat drop rolling guiltily down the side of his face. At once, the trio pivoted on their heels, grimacing in annoyance of the lies that had been fed to them.

"Let's go," Nami said through gritted teeth, her shaking hands balled in shaking fists. Luffy held his arms out and dashed towards them, holding them back as they attempted to leave. "Move it!" Nami spat, trying to shove through his grip, but it was no use.

"Wait, wait a minute! Wait!" He told them while wrestling them back, head peeking out from between their shoulders and grinning up with enthusiasm at Baron Omatsuri. "Old man, what's this '_test from hell_'"?

"It's something to test your strength, etcetera," He boomed down, eyes scanning over the face of the rubber man. "Until now, many who have accepted this test have run away in the end." A loud laugh escaped from the Captain's mouth, and his smile grew broader with each word the Baron spoke. "If you don't have confidence in your partners," the man told him, "then you'd better just give up."

"You've got to be kidding!" The man in the Straw Hat called up, "Of course we'll accept your test!"

"Would you use your brain for _once_?" Misery barked, yanking the Captain away from his spot by the hood of his jacket. She spun him around to face her, pulling him down on the ground to sit. "You don't think this is a little, I'll go out on a limb here, _stupid_?" Nami sunk down on the ground beside the black haired girl, grabbing the Luffy's cheeks and pinching them with anger.

"You'd better think this over thoroughly!" She hissed, "What good will it do us to take this test, anyway?"

"That aside," Sanji kneeled down on his knee to become eye level with the group, "We're not obligated to participate in this thing."

"That's right, Luffy!" Chopper pressed, large eyes filled with worry, "It's dangerous!"

"We're not obligated," the Captain turned his head to face the reindeer, his smile never fading for a second, "But I still want to take the challenge." Usopp scrambled on his knees to the crew on the ground, eyes wide and nervous.

"Hey, this is not a laughing matter," he whispered at the beaming man in the center of them, "I told you it's a trap!"

"He said most people run away!" Chopper sputtered nervously.

"That's right," Luffy nodded delightedly.

"You don't know what's going to happen!"

"That's okay."

"LUFFY!"

"What's the matter?"

The marksman let go of a sigh, shaking his head hopelessly. "Why are you so relaxed?"

"It doesn't matter if it's a trap or not," he said reassuringly, "We can handle it. Besides," he took the time to look at each face surrounding him, "I believe in all of you." The group fell silent, blinking at Luffy in surprise. Nami slowly let go of the Captain's cheeks, a small, disbelieving smile growing on her lips.

"Captain, you sweet talker," Zoro chuckled in a wry tone, taking a step forward, "Alright, show me what this test is all about."

"The Baron said it was from hell," Aris reminded him, but couldn't hold back the small grin forming on her face.

"I'll take part, too." Robin took a few small steps forward, "That Baron interests me."

"I guess there's no choice but to join," Sanji sighed, adjusting his large sunglasses.

"Let's just make this quick," Misery smirked, rising to her feet. Usopp looked at the group disapprovingly, but quickly jumped up to a standing position as well.

"Okay, okay," He mumbled, jabbing his hands into his hips, "I'll take part, too." An amused, deep chuckle echoed from the Baron's post as he gazed down at the pirates below him.

"Everyone's taking part, very good. Then get ready," he opened his arms, voice rocking the air, "for the test from hell!"

* * *

**Test from hell? This doesn't sound like a vacation! What exactly will this test be about? :0  
**


	14. The Secret Island 4

The Straw Hat pirates gasped in awe as the city before them folded in on itself, it's massive buildings sliding closer together and the electronic wonders sinking into hidden slots in the ground. They spun around as the dense forest behind them parted, pressing together until eventually, it was if nothing as there in the first place. The colorful street around them began to rotate, the bricks on the winding path encircling them before sliding together and creating a large, round platform in the middle of the sea. Before they knew it, they were standing on the massive, circular terrace in the middle of the ocean, a narrow brick path connecting themselves to the city a head.

"I'll announce what this test is," The Baron shouted into his megaphone, barely being heard above the winding and buzzing of mechanics around him. A large sign appeared a few feet behind him, towering over him in the air. Aris squinted her eyes, shielding them from the sun. Just as she thought, the neon sign was unmistakably the shape of a fish. "Net the Goldfish!" The mechanics humming came to a hault, and in it's place the citizens of the island cheered in the stands that had been erected facing the contestants. A fleet of fireworks shot into the sky, combusting into white sparks that rained down to the city. From the center of the platform, a large tank rose from the bricks, colorful goldfish swimming directionless inside.

"Net the goldfish?" Usopp repeated, clearly puzzled. He picked up a small, paper net that sat on the rim of the tank, twirling it between his fingers.

"The rules of net the goldfish are simple," Baron Omatsuri continued, holding an identical paper net in his free hand. "Whoever catches the most goldfish in three minutes wins. But let me warn you," he leaned forward dramatically, "the net tears _very_ easily in water!" He cackled menacingly down at the group, who had been looking at the tank of goldfish in disbelief. "Next let me introduce you to your opponent, a man whom I'm very proud of. Show yourself, Muchigoro!" From the shadow behind him, the pirates saw a pear-shaped man leap down into the light, barreling down the path towards them with all the might his bow legs could muster. The crowd stood up, giving the man a standing ovation, cheering wildly and throwing confetti into the air. The man came to a halt in front of them, holding his tiny net out like a sword and panted, the tiny leaf on his head swaying slightly in the breeze.

"How do you do?" He politely introduced himself, "I'm Muchigoro!" Misery turned her head to Sanji, her hands dropping limply to her sides.

"Isn't a muchigoro some kind of fish?" She asked, uninterested in the events around her.

"Isn't it an eel?" Chopper questioned, rubbing the back of his furry neck with a small hoof.

"Maybe it's a loach," Robin suggested, trying to recall the species of sea creature under that title. Sanji rolled his eyes from under his orange sunglasses.

"He's just an idiot," he mumbled, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. The odd dressed man in front of them took a step forward, eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Wrong!" He shouted, glaring at the lot of them, "I'm Muchigoro, Baron's most outstanding man. Did you hear me? Muchigoro!" He began jumping from leg to leg, probably trying to look intimidating, but only managed to look like a fool stepping on hot coals.

"Yep," Sanji confirmed, watching the sprout-top's odd war dance, "he's an idiot."

"So," the Baron called down, "which one of you will be his opponent?"

"Oh!" Luffy shot his hand in the air again, waving it madly about, "Me! _Me! Me!_"

"Wait," Usopp grinned, pushing his glasses up his nose, "I don't care if he's the Baron's most outstanding man. Just leave it to me." Aris put her hands on her hips, cocking an eyebrow at the marksman.

"Weren't you the one scared to death just a minute ago?" She said, remembering his ranting about how the whole thing was a trap.

"Just because he heard it's netting goldfish, he's getting cocky." Zoro mumbled, rubbing his shoulder tiredly. "Come on, we'll watch from the side lines."

"Come on, shit head!" Usopp roared at Muchigoro, ignoring the comments of his departing crew. The pear shaped man ran forward to the opposite side of the raised aquarium, net at the ready. "You'll regret meeting an opponent like me," he added confidently, "They call me the _Famous Goldfish Netter_!" As the marksman sliced through the air with his paper net, the pear shaped man's eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Famous?" He gasped.

"Famous."

"Now way!"

Usopp raised a finger and pointed across the tank to his opponent.

"It's true."

"Wow!" Chopper exclaimed from beside the marksman, "You're so cool!"

"I am, aren't I?" Usopp laughed triumphantly.

"You're not just bragging?"

"Please tell me you're bragging!" Muchigoro gnawed on his nails nervously, perspiration appearing on his forehead. At once, Usopp ceased his confident laughter and adjusted his glasses quickly.

"I'm bragging." The long nosed man said shortly. Usopp took a look at his enemy's bewildered face and broke out into laughter once more, shoulders rocking.

"Dammit!" Muchigoro stopped furiously in place, "You tricked me!"

Sanji shook his head in disbelief before turning it to face Nami. "See? Told you he's an idiot." He sighed her before lighting yet another cigarette.

"Muchigoro, don't let them lead you by your nose!" The Baron shouted into his megaphone, leaning forward as much as he could.

"I-I'm sorry, Baron!" Muchigoro replied, bowing apologetically at his boss.

"Never mind," the man called down, "let's just get started!" To the pirate's surprise, the little flower on his shoulder opened it's mouth.

"The competition has begun!" It announced in a high pitched voice, the great clock tower of the city chiming a que for the battle to start. Usopp roared furiously, his hand cutting through the air as he was about to scoop up a goldfish, when a noise was heard from somewhere below them. The crew turned their heads in all directions, trying to figure out what the sound was and where it was coming from.

"What the-" Usopp froze, straining his ears to recognize the noise. They didn't have to wait long before a massive wave splashed from the ocean's surface, casting the entire platform into a dark shadow. Then, twisting above the tidal wave, they saw a colossal sized carp, it's top plated with gems and rubies and it's mouth full of long, pointed daggers of teeth. Usopp was nearly beside himself, unsure where to run. He attempted to jolt backwards, but his back collided with the aquarium full of much, _much_ more smaller goldfish.

"What?" Zoro shouted in surprise, hand immediately clutching his swords.

"What _is_ that?" Misery nearly screamed, eyes wide in fear. Of all the things to happen, she wasn't excepting _that._

"Oh, that?" Muchigoro turned to them, a sly smile on his lips, "That's my pet, Baby Rosario. Isn't he adorable?" As the massive fish splashed back into the ocean, an even bigger wave rose up and fell over them, temporarily throwing them into a miniature sea. As the water began to recede off the platform, allowing at least their heads to be out of the pool, the Baron's cackling filled the air.

"See them? Laugh at them all you want, Muchigoro!" He hollered, having been covered by the small shower of rain the island was receiving by his purple umbrella, "They're such cowards!"

As the water continued to receded, Luffy popped up, snatching his drenched hat and wedging it back on his head, grinning with passion.

"Alright," he shouted, trying to spot where Rosario went, "this is getting interesting!" Misery, who had been clutching Luffy's leg to prevent herself from being washed away, lay on the ground in a puddle of dripping clothes, her hair sticking flatly to her face. She still clung on for her life, gasping for air she had been so suddenly deprived of.

"Wait," Nami roared, pointing in the direction of the sea, "What is the meaning of this?"

"What? I told you it was net the goldfish," the Baron shrugged casually from on top of his elephant.

"Don't play stupid," Misery retorted, scrambling to her feet, "How the hell are we suppose to net that?"

"Oh," the Baron smirked, "you just scoop it up and put it in the pail."

"We've been tricked," Zoro spat at Misery, yanking Aris up from the soaking wet ground. "Or do you need him to spell it out for you?"

"This is awesome!" Luffy laughed as the giant carp broke the water's surface a second time and rocketed into the air.

"Awesome my foot!" Nami shouted angrily, glaring at the Captain. A small object was shoved in her face, snapping her momentarily out of her fury.

"Here, this is yours," Usopp handed her the paper net before springing away, "I'll leave the rest to you." Before she could blink, the marksman was yards away. He had incredible speed that only seemed to kick in when the time came for him to face something dangerous.

"Wait, Mr. Famous Netter!" Nami called, but he was already out of sight. She growled furiously, swearing she'd get revenge on that coward as soon as she could get her hands around his scrawny little neck. Suddenly, a large shadow engulfed the area around her, becoming larger and larger in what seemed like nanoseconds. The Navigator spun around, shrieking in terror as the mammoth carp was descending rapidly upon her, mouth open wide displaying it's large, needle teeth.

"Nami-swan, watch out!" A voice warned her, and in an instant the fish was kicked in it's side, flying sideways and rendering Nami safe of being impaled by it's teeth. Sanji landed on the ground, muscles tightening in his legs before leaping off with great speed, jamming his foot into the fish's stomach and sending it soaring upwards. Red fish scales rained around him like elegant cherry blossoms falling from an elderly, radiant tree. He gazed down at the orange haired girl from the air, smiling to himself as he thought of how, surely, he had wooed her with his valiant kick. Instead, the Navigator handed the green haired man next to her the fish net that had been bestowed on to her.

"What? Me?" The swordsman complained, but he knew it was no use with the Navigator. He sighed in frustration before snatching the net from the thief and placing the tiny item in his mouth like it were Kuina's sword. "Whatever, I'll make this quick." He murmured through gritted teeth. Nami watched as the samurai jumped into the air, slowly unsheathing his sword as the carp began to plummet towards him, flailing wildly in the sky. The steel of the blade shone brilliantly in the sun, making his sword appear to be made out of light itself.

"HEY!" Baron's voice echoed out towards them as he waved his hands in the air, "It's against the rules to use swords in Net the Goldfish!"

Zoro made a noise that sounded as if he had almost fallen off the edge of a cliff. He quickly shoved his blade back in it's sheath, then grabbed the handle with both of his hands and with all the force he could collect, hit the goldfish with a loud crack, sending it flying into another direction. From where Misery stood, it looked like a twisted game of baseball. Zoro landed on the ground, taking deep breaths through his nostrils, jaw locked in aggravation. His swords were _not_ meant to be used like some sort of bat.

"You scoundrel!" Muchigoro chided, pointing at the swordsman, "You intended on cutting up my Rosario Baby!"

"What the hell was I supposed to do?" Zoro shouted back, a vein throbbing in his forehead. Luffy ran up to his First Mate, arm out stretched.

"I want to try, give me the net!" He told him, and the green haired man gladly relinquished the object in his mouth. Luffy slapped a hand on his bicep, spinning around to face the flying fish, expression scrunched up in determination. He flung his arm out in a rubber pistol, the net in his fist quickly becoming a small speck in the distance.

"H-his arm is stretching!" Muchigoro clasped his hands to his face in shock, eyes widening at Luffy's ability. Bewilderment plagued the Baron's features as his eyes followed the Straw Hat's movement, gulping down a ball of anxiety. It was clear to him that the man he challenged had eaten a Devil's Fruit. Luffy attempted to catch the nose of the massive carp delicately in the net, but to no one else's shock but his own, the paper net tore until it was nothing but a metal loop with ripped paper shards dangling from it. He quickly retracted his hand, bringing the broken net to his eye to look through it.

"It's torn?" He yelled in shock before clasping his straw hat in helplessness, "Oh, no! It's torn!"

"Of course it's torn, it's impossible to catch such a big fish with that little net!" Nami hissed in aggravation, pointing at the still air-born monster.

"Absolutely correct, Miss," the Baron called down from his megaphone, "Muchigoro, show them!" The pirates on the platform snapped their heads towards the pear shaped man, who was smiling slyly as he tossed his tiny paper net to the ground.

"You need this," he smirked, pulling a long pole out of the sash of his back, "to catch Baby Rosario!" In a quick flick, the pole sprang open, revealing it to be a gigantic sized paper net, the perfect size for scooping up the colosal carp. The crew's jaws dropped to the floor, not believing what they had just witnessed.

"That's cheating!" Aris protested, angrily jabbing a finger in Muchigoro's direction, "You keep tricking us!"

"I never said you had to use the small net," the Baron said casually through his megaphone, "I just said it tears easily in water."

"That's not fair!" Aris shouted, blue eyes filling up with frustration. She could feel her face heat up, part from her anger, part from yelling so loudly at the man on the elephant.

"One minute left!" The little flower sang, swaying excitedly on the Baron's shoulder. Muchigoro spread his feet apart, bracing himself for the catch he was about to make. The crew watched in horror as Rosario fell into the net, stretching it almost to it's breaking point, then retracting and tossing the platted goldfish gently towards the massive pail erected from the ocean. The crowd cheered wildly as the carp sailed closer and closer to Muchigoro's pail, throwing confetti in the air.

"Tch," Robin smiled wily, crossing her arms elegantly in front of her, "You should have said we could use anything we want from the start." The carp landed in Muchigoro's pail, but before it could hit the bottom, a net of limbs cast it back up into the sky.

"A-anonther Devil's Fruit?" the Baron whispered to himself, a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek. Misery's eyes followed the fish as it began to drop down over them, blocking the sun with it's massive body. She grabbed Luffy's arm, who had been staring awe-struck at the beast, yanking him away as the rest of the crew ran for cover.

"Chopper!" Aris called, attempting to run towards the reindeer who stood in the middle of the growing shadow, but was stopped by Zoro's firm grip on her arm.

"You want to get crushed?" He barked, hauling her away, "he'll be fine!" Sure enough, the crunch of a Rumble Ball being bitten cracked through the air, and in a puff of smoke, a giant fur ball emerged before them. The flower had begun counting down the last ten seconds of the competition. The fish collided with Chopper's round, fur ball state, smooshing him momentarily.

"Five!"

The fish bounced off the reindeer, again becoming air born.

"Four!"

It flailed about madly in the air, slowly falling in the direction of the Straw Hat's pail.

"Three!"

Almost there...

"Two!"

Almost...

"One!" The fish landed with a thump in the giant bucket, waves splashing all around it from the momentum. The audience in the stands fell deathly silent, both the Baron and Muchigoro gasping in disbelief. "End of competition!" The flower saying, bouncing happily up and down, "End of competition! The Straw Hat boy's team won! Victory is theirs!" Zoro shot his hands in the air, nearly lifting Aris off the ground by her arm. The whole crew cheered and laughed in triumph, jumping up into the air in victory. The reindeer transformed back into his small, usual self, eyes rolling dizzily in his head. He staggered backwards, the world spinning around him.

"Chopper!" Usopp shouted as the reindeer took an unsteady step backwards, losing his balance and falling into the blue sea behind him. The group rushed towards the edge of the platform, peering over the ledge and into the bubbles that rolled up to the surface.

"I'll save you!" Luffy shouted down into the water, pushing off the platform and diving in after him. Misery shrieked and shot out her hand to stop him, but it was too late. A vein pulsed angrily in her temple as she stared into the water in devastation.

"Moron," Sanji sighed, taking his cigarettes out of his pocket and tossing them lightly on the ground. He handed his sunglasses to Nami while kicking off his shoes, then jumped into the blue. Within a few seconds, the surface began to bubble furiously, and the cook hauled the Captain and Doctor back to dry land. The two of them began to cough up water, laying drained on their back.

"T-thank you, Luffy," Chopped whispered, turning tired eyes to the man beside him.

"It was nothing," Luffy told him, giving the soaked deer an identical gaze.

"Hey!" Sanji, as well as the rest of the crew loomed over them, "I'm the one who saved you both!" Aris sat back and sighed in relief, glad the excitement was finally over.

"No matter, my men," Luffy stood up and tipped the brim of his hat, sounding as if he were reciting some line he had heard someone else say, "we _won_!" He stretched his arms out wide, grinning at the group before him. Having been distracted from their victory, the pirates resumed their cheering and jumping, clapping their hands excitedly together.

"I'm sorry, Baron!" Muchigoro cried, wiping his eyes and groveling at the feet of his higher up, who now stood a few yards away from them. "I'm useless! I've shamed you!"

"I never thought we would win so easily," Zoro smirked, crossing his arms in front of him.

"That was no test from hell!" Luffy laughed, slapping his celebrating marksman firmly on the back.

"Congratulations!" The flower chirped to all of them as if wanting to join in on their happiness, "Congratulations!" Aris turned to face the flower, smiling joyfully up at it.

"Thank you!" She beamed, her skirt twirling as she spun in it's direction. She noticed the Baron's scowl covering his features, eye brow twitching like he was trying to desperately repress an emotion.

"That was simple," Sanji smiled, winking at Robin, "nothing we couldn't handle." The Baron's shoulders shook in frustration before he shot his hand out to the group, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Wait!" He roared, "The test isn't over!" The Straw Hats immediately ceased their celebrations and turned their heads to face the man, clearly puzzled. "You thought you won just now, but you still have to take the other part of this test! Don't assume you're finished." He balled his hand up into an angry fist, clenching it so tight it trembled, "How dare you play my Muchigoro like some kind of fool!"

Misery stomped her foot forward, pointing a furious finger up the nose of the Baron. "You did _not_ just say that right now," She growled, fire burning in her eyes, "You're the one with all the tricks up your sleeve!"

"You've lost," Usopp crossed his thin arms firmly across his chest, "just admit it."

"Shut up!" The Baron roared, "It's not over yet! I say we compete again!"

"You're such a sore loser," Usopp told him snarly, rolling his eyes. Luffy's smile just continued to grow, turning to the Baron with confidence.

"Another test?" He crossed his arms behind his head, "Sounds fun!" He spun around to face his crew, radiating with eagerness. "We accept!" Nami's jaw dropped in horror. She marched over to him, clasping her hands firmly on his shoulders.

"Luffy! Luffy," She spoke slowly, glaring at the captain with sharp eyes, "We're here for a break, remember? We're not here to undergo some combat training, got that?"

"Listen up!" Luffy addressed his crew, shooting his arm up in the air and ignoring the Navigator's words, "We'll win the next one, too!" Nami smacked him in the side of his head with as much force as she could swing, knocking him dramatically sideways. He quickly regained his balance and pumped his fists into the air. "I won't go easy on you if you lose!" He laughed, only to be interrupted by another of the thief's assaults. The crew smiled fondly at the scene in front of them, until Aris noticed something glistening in the distance. She turned her head to the side, where the jungle had been placed, and gasped in surprise. Hidden behind a bush, she saw a short man wearing a safari hat, spying on them through a pair of wide binoculars. She blinked furiously, making sure what she saw was in fact there, but instead all she saw when she opened her eyes was an empty jungle, no short man hiding in it's foliage.

"Something up?" Zoro noticed her small noise, following her gaze to the jungle beside them. Aris looked at the forest once more, confused. She could have sworn she had seen a man, but a lot of things had happened so suddenly, it was just as likely he had been a figment of her imagination.

"Nothing," she shook her head and smiled up at the swordsman reassuringly, "I was just spacing out."

* * *

**Thanks to xLazyxChibix for reviewing these last few stories! I really appreciate it. As for everyone else, I've been told is being difficult, and won't let them review. But, if you read this story and have suggestions, comments or concerns, please _try_ to review, it would really help me figure out what I need to make better stories.**


	15. The Secret Island 5

Nami squared her shoulders, rage threatening to boil out her ears by the means of hot steam. She curled her lip up in a threatening, furious snarl at her Captain, eye brows pressed together in what appeared to be utmost resentment. In a whirlwind of purple skirt and orange hair, she spun her body towards the jungle, storming off into the wilderness. Luffy quickly started after her, the rest of the crew hot on his heels.

"Nami, where are you going?" The rubber man shouted after her, quickly catching up to the infuriated Navigator.

"If you like this test from hell so much, you can do it yourself," the orange hair girl spat, briskly stepping over roots and puddles, "I can't afford to die here with you idiots!" She shoved a branch out of her path, smacking Luffy in the forehead as she let go.

"Nami, wait! Nami!" The Captain pleaded, rubbing his reddened skin painfully. To anyone who didn't know any better, it would appear that the thief reigned superior over the Straw Hat boy. "Just hold on a second-"

"What is this place, anyway?" Robin scanned the dense jungle with her cerulean eyes, taking in the unfamiliar territory around her. Nami stopped, blinking as she realized she had led them into an unknown area of the wilderness. She looked down at her map, then back up at the forest.

"Where..." she began, unsettled about the changing landscape around them, "...the ship is docked...?" She could have sworn she had been walking towards the beach they had made port in, but it hadn't taken them this long to discover the Baron and his extraordinary city. Something was definitely off...

"We're lost," Misery said in a breath of air, shaking her head in exasperation, "this is fantastic."

"No, this is the place we anchored the ship!" Nami shot back defensively, slapping the map with her hand.

"That makes it even _more_ confusing!"

"Isn't it this way?"

"No, it's this way."

"Zoro, don't you _dare_ give us directions!"

"Everyone, calm down!" The panic struck thief brought the map to the end of her nose, examining it carefully.

"Where are we right now?" Aris peeked over the orange haired girl's shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of the layout of the jungle.

"I-I'm not sure," Nami mumbled, trying desperately to keep a level head and figure a way out. Misery slapped a hand to her face, closing her eyes and trying to keep her frustration from taking over.

"Then what's the point of even having a map?" The Oracle moaned through her palm.

"Okay, Miss Know-It-All, why don't you pull your cards and _you_ can tell us where to go!"

"Because they're _cards_, not a GPS system!"

"Guys, look!" Chopper called out from behind a bush, where a small picnic area had been laid out. "Looks like someone went camping."

"In the middle of a jungle?" Aris walked over beside the reindeer to examine the remains of the picnic. The small, woven basket still had pieces of bread inside, and the thermostats were warm to the touch.

"Some people are into that," Zoro shrugged shortly, picking up an apple that had rolled off of the camping blanket.

"Never mind that," Nami told them, rolling the map up into a small tube and shoving it back into her bag, "We need to keep moving forward."

"Right," Sanji nodded, being the first to follow the Navigator as she continued through the jungle, "If we keep moving, we'll eventually find the shore. There has to be a way out of here."

"Nami," Luffy whined, mouth turned into a childish pout as he trailed behind the group, "We mind as well just turn around."

"Shut up!"

"Namiii!"

"I said _shut_ _up_!" The red head pushed through a thick bush, stumbling forward into an open area. The rest of the crew shoved through the thicket to join her, only to gasp up in dismay at the large stage before them. The Baron stood a good few meters above them on a large theater set, cackling in a condescending manner down at the baffled group in front of him. Behind him, red velvet curtains draped down to conceal the rest of the stage, giving the palm-tree haired man only a little space on his platform.

"We've waited a long time for you, brave pirates!" The dark haired man shouted down through his megaphone, his voice echoing through the empty forest.

"Hey!" Luffy waved his hand in a cheerful greeting, "It's Uncle Flower!"

"He's not going to let us have a break," Sanji mumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets, "and now we can't get off this island."

Robin eyed the Baron from his platform. "Looks like the only choice we have is the-"

"Test from hell!" Luffy finished her sentence for her, a zealous grin spreading from ear to ear. The rest of the crew moaned in unison, tired from the last challenge which had only been moments ago. A spot light beamed down on the Baron as he took a step forward, his scrawny men in frilled dresses and pink fans scurrying dramatically on the stage as a drum roll began to ring out from some unseen place.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the owner of the island called down dramatically, bowing slightly at the Straw Hats, "Allow me to introduce to you the second challenge!" The red curtain behind him slid open, revealing a towering, neon sign with a bulls-eye glowing brightly in it's center. "Toss the Hoop!"

"Toss the Hoop?" Chopper repeated, dazzled by the lights and confetti raining down from the stage.

"Each team is to select six persons and drive a speedboat," The Baron explained as the lights on the sign moved, creating six individual figure on the rectangle, "The team who tosses the most hoops on it's opponents wins! Now, let me introduce you to six of my members whom I'm very proud of." The familiar hum of mechanics could be heard from beneath the stage, and suddenly six smaller platforms arose from different parts of the main set. Hunched over on each small square sat six small, elderly looking people, a leaf protruding from each of their heads. "The captain, Yoshi. Driver, Mego. Attacker, Shooter. Repairman, Tuck. The youngest and only female, Kaeroko. Lastly, but certainly not least, medic, Trent!" A small light shone on each of the old midgets as he listed them off, the crowd behind them cheering excitedly.

"What? You're making them compete? They look so old though," Nami protested, jabbing a finger towards the elderly folks presented to them.

"To all of us," Yoshi retorted back at her, "you're all still wet behind your ears!"

"How dare you!" Nami shot back, slightly surprised the old man could be such a spit fire.

"She's angry," the man next to Yoshi laughed, "She's still impatient and immature, typical!"

"That's none of your business!"

"You're only a little younger than me," the old woman giggled, "and yet you're so arrogant."

"I'm a _LOT _younger than you!" Nami made the universal gesture for size with her two hands, "A lot, a LOT!"

"You do realize you're arguing with a bunch of old leaf-heads, right?" Misery crossed her arms, exhaling.

"You stay out of this!"

"So," The Baron interjected, his sly smile curling the corners of his mouth, "Are you going to pick your six contestants or not?"

"Me!" Luffy jumped in spot, flailing his arms in the air, "_Me! Me!_"

"Stand aside," Nami darted forward, hand clenched in a determined fist as she snarled at her new found enemies, "I'll handle this!"

"Since when did Nami become so enthusiastic?"

"Nami-swan's taking part, maybe I should go with her," Sanji thought out loud, pushing his sunglasses up his nose, "Oh, Robin honey, how about doing this together?" Zoro rolled his eyes as the armour cook approached the architect, arms outstretched.

"You're ridiculous," Zoro mumbled under his breath. Sanji turned his head slowly at the swordsman, tilting his chin challenging upwards at him.

"I didn't invite you."

"I wouldn't go even if you did," the green haired man gave him his back, taking a few small steps away from the cook.

"You slug," the blond sneered, "You can just sit quietly and watch." In a flash, a calloused hand grabbed his collar and an outraged swordsman was shouting in his face.

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

"What are you, five?" Misery ripped the two of them apart with much effort, glaring angrily at both of them. "If I need to go to keep you idiots in check, then so be it!"

"Is there anyone else?" The Baron amusedly called down, "you need two more contestants."

"Aris and I will go," Usopp took a step forward. Aris, along with the rest of the group, whipped their heads shock at the marksman. The long nosed man smiled reassuringly at the seamstress. "We have the best aim out of anyone, it only makes sense we participate in something like this." Aris looked into the sharpshooters determined eyes, then gave him a small, knowing smile.

"Okay," The silver haired girl faced the Baron, nodding in agreement, "I'm in."

"Excellent," he boomed out into the jungle, "then let round two begin!"

* * *

**Next chapter will be jammed packed full of action to make of for this kind of boring one!**


	16. The Secret Island 6

Aris stood nervously at the front of the canoe-shaped motor boat, clutching the tall bow in anxiety. She was used to sailing, used to the feeling of being rocked back and forth by waves, but it was something about being confided in this small boat that made her uncomfortable. She looked over her shoulder at Nami and Usopp, the bright lanterns that hung from the dark channel making their skin appear yellow. She turned her eyes across the water at her opponents, seated in a much smaller, kayak type water vehicle. Next to them, Misery, Sanji and Zoro were bobbing on the water's surface in a canoe identical to their own. The ticking of a timer clicked, echoing off the dripping walls of the tunnel, then finally buzzing at an alarmingly loud volume. Usopp yanked the lever at the back of the boat, and the group took off with such outstanding speed, Nami had to cling to Aris in fear of flying over board. After speeding through the painful flashing of electronic signs, the four of the boats emerged from the dark tunnel and into the light of the canal.

Nami gasped as she spun her head around the sight before them. It appeared they were in the middle of a street, only the pavement was replaced with a small, man-made river. Citizens roared with excitement from all directions, they were even pouring out of the large buildings that lined the water, throwing their decorative shredded paper in celebration.

"We're in the city...?" Nami said it more like a question than a statement, completely dumbfounded by the sheer number of audience members. As the three of them continued to cruise steadily down the stream, the Navigator eased her grip from Aris, standing up comfortably to get a better look. Usopp, who was sitting comfortably at the end of the ship and steering, looked behind him at the old persons in their separate boat.

"Look at them," he laughed over the roar of the motor, curly black hair whipping him in the face, "they're such slow pokes!" As if to prove him wrong, the small blue boat their opponents had been driving reared up momentarily in the air, then crashed back down into the water and sped towards them with great force. In a flash, the three old fighters were next to them, smiling up innocently.

"Quick, Nami!" Aris yelled, pointing her finger at the round objects on the floor, "throw the hoop!" The orange haired girl nodded quickly, snatching a hoop with both hands and holding it above her head, getting ready to hurtle it down. The small blue boat quickly darted closer to them, then pulled away and sped off ahead, creating turbulence on the water that knocked both the Seamstress and Navigator off balance, falling backwards into the floor of the canoe. Usopp's jaw dropped in surprise, eyes following the agile blue boat. Nami scrambled to her feet and hugged onto the bow of the canoe, eyes nearly bulging as their opponents zoomed off.

"How can they be so fast?" She shrieked, orange hair flying everywhere. Aris clutched the side of their small water vehicle and poked her eyes out over the railing, too afraid to actually stand lest she fall again- this time in the river. Up ahead, a large landmark separated the river, creating two smaller canals that went in opposite directions. The teams split up, each going their own separate ways.

"Figures," Zoro mumbled, watching as the others disappeared behind the giant stone wall, "they plan on separating us."

"I can't hear you!" Misery shouted, her ponytail whipping wildly in the wind, "Speak up!" Before he could, however, the small blue boat beside them slowed down drastically, becoming further and further away.

"They're out running us!" They heard one of them, Mego, say, though his expression was frozen in the same smile all of the old leaf-heads wore. Zoro and Misery turned their heads to follow the drifting boat, eye brows raised in suspicion.

"We're ahead of them, ready the hoops!" Zoro commanded from across the canoe to Sanji, who was supposed to be the attacker of the crew. Sanji stood with one knee raised on the railing of their motor boat, pinching the bridge of his nose tightly.

"There's something I don't understand," he mumbled bitterly, eyes squeezed shut.

"_What?"_Zoro leaned forward, attempting to hear whatever it was the blond was saying.

"How is it I wind up with you on the boat instead of my Nami?" He turned his head to Misery, who was also cupping her ears to hear him. "But at least I have you, right my angel?"

Before either of them could yell _what_ again, the winding and zipping of gears rang above the engine of their boat. The swordsman and fortune teller whipped their heads around, eyes widening as they saw the small kayak behind them transform into a full fledged ammunition tank. Flaps on either side of the boat slid open, allowing for three gun barrels to twirl out, halting when they reached a height that would hit the three pirates with perfect precision. Misery and Zoro wailed in a mixture of shock and horror as the missiles launched towards them, landing all around them in great splashes in the river. Sanji, however, remained calm, scowling at the green haired man who furiously pulled the lever he was next to, steering them out of harm.

* * *

Luffy stood sulkily in the middle of the high class resort, eyes looking lazily at the large crystal chandelier hanging above him on the high ceiling. The marble stone beneath his feet was so polished and well-kept, a blurred image of himself could be seen under him like some sort of warped mirror. Chopper smiled in amazement, absorbing the beauty of the luxurious spa with wide eyes.

The Captain let out a frustrated groan, his mouth turned into an unsatisfied pout. "I want to play Toss the Hoop too," he complained to no one in particular. Robin, dressed in a bath robe that looked like it was fabricated from clouds themselves, took a few graceful steps past him, letting her hand fall gently on the ivory railing of the staircase before beginning to ascend.

"Just let them take care of it," she told him smoothly before disappearing into the upper level, "we'll just stay here and relax." Chopper scuttled after her, his tiny hooves clopping on the hard floor beneath him. Luffy let out another groan, never taking his gaze off the ceiling above him. Why was _he_ the one left out of all the fun? He was the Captain, the one in charge, so why wasn't he tossing hoops in a speed boat? A small something bounced off his head, which he swatted away passively. A few seconds rolled by before a bigger something hit his head and landed on the floor in with a thud. Luffy dragged his eyes downward, seeing a rock roll a near his feet.

"What the-" Another, slightly bigger stone collided with his head. The Straw Hat boy spun around in the direction it was sent from, trying to spot whoever through it. From the opposite direction, a fairly large stone made heavy impact to the side of his temple. He whipped his head around, starring angrily at nothing in particular. "Who's there? Where are you! Come out of your hiding place!" From behind him, he heard a small tap of a tender footstep. Luffy squinted his eyes, pursing his lips together in suspicion, then flung his body around. A short, man stood on the balcony of the second floor, though he was too shadowy to have any detail about him, froze momentarily, a large boulder lifted comically above his head. "There you are!" Luffy jabbed a finger accusingly at the figure, who now began to sweat and whip his head in all directions, looking for an easy escape. Luffy darted up the stairs, the man with the boulder hurrying in the opposite direction. "I told you to stop, not to run!" Luffy commanded him, chasing after the distraught attacker.

* * *

Aris' eyes followed the speed boat that whizzed up in front of them, brows pressed together. "They're up to something, guys!" She warned her two teammates over the raging wind, squinting her eyes to see exactly what the three old folks were planning. The old woman, who was seated in the last seat of the kayak, turned around to face the pirates. Aris watched Kaeroko as a small object elevated in front of her. The seamstress strained her vision to confirm what was before of her; the old woman was cooking fish on the grill that had risen from the blue boat. Kaeroko flashed the seamstress a malicious grin as she whipped out a paper fan and begin to swat an enormous wave of smoke their way. In seconds, the pirates were engulfed in the thick and delicious smelling cloud.

"I can't see!" Nami coughed, slamming her eyes shut to ease the stinging. Tears welled up in the corners of the chocking marksman's eyes.

"Damn, I'm so hungry," he whined, fanning the smoke away from his nose. Nami made a face in the dense cloud. She made a mental reminder to punch Usopp once she could see clearly again.

"It won't be so smoky once we get up ahead," Aris told them, wheezing for air. Usopp must have heard her, because they began to pick up speed and were soon out of the cloud. Usopp maneuvered their canoe next to the blue speed boat, where the three elderly sprout-tops appeared to be enjoying the meal they had just cooked.

"You old hag!" Nami roared, lifting a hoop and preparing to toss it on her. Kaeroko flashed an eye up at her, twisting her body to reach for the tiny barbecue.

"Why don't you eat this!" The old woman cackled. She opened her grill and quickly scooped up a hot coal with her fan, tossing it into the pirate's boat. The three of them blinked down at the small charcoal rolling at their feet.

"Just what are you trying to-" A fleet of hot coals began to rain down on them, the old woman smacking them at the pirates one after the other. The trio squealed, bending as much and as quickly as they could to dodge the hot stones. Aris yelped with each and every tiny burn that hit her skin, somehow managing to maneuver herself _toward_ the deranged old woman's line of fire. One of the coal's bounced off of her hip, landing on a small blanket near the end of their speed boat. The three of them shrieked as the blanket ignited, quickly becoming completely engulfed by flames.

* * *

Chopper gnawed happily on a green apple, watching the numerous chefs clad in uniforms prepare meals for all of them to enjoy. But he quickly became bored with their cooking and decided to visit the Architect in the next hall over.

Robin lay on one of the numerous lawn chairs aligned by the indoor pool, as usual with a novel unfolded in her hands. She had to admit, this place had class; it was clean, crisp and serene. However, there was a feeling itching at her from somewhere deep within her minds of minds, and she knew it best to stick with her intuition and not led her guard down.

"How do you feel now?" The Baron asked her from the second story, a small group of men gathered around him. He smiled down pleasantly at her, appearing proud of his establishment. "Just stay here and relax until the whole competition is over."

"Thank you," Robin chided, looking up at him from her book. The Baron smiled, then began down the hall to check in on his other guests. Robin's eyes followed him as the colorful flower on his shoulder twisted itself around and looked down at her, it's cute and cheerful smile never once fading. Close approaching footsteps snapped her out of her gaze, though the Baron and his men had vanished down a corridor anyway. Muchigoro stood before her, holding a large tray of tropical drinks that were very similar to the ones Sanji concocted on an almost daily basis.

"You're a very attentive host," The architect complimented, picking one of the drinks off the tray and setting it down on the table next to her.

"I lost the match just now," Muchigoro explained to her with a hint of heart break, "so you can command me to do whatever you want. That's the rule on this island."

"Is that so?" Robin smiled warmly at the pear shaped man, "then let's have a toast."

"I-I'm still on duty," Muchigoro nearly choked out, surprised such a woman would ask him to have a drink with her, "so I can't have anything to drink."

"I thought I could command you to do anything," Robin said smoothly, looking the blushing man in the eyes.

"I..." Muchigoro slouched his body, "then I guess I have no choice."

"Great," Robin chided, lifting her thin glass, "then let's toast to this very wonderful recreational place." The two of them tapped their glasses together, the ringing echoing down the empty space around them. "Though, I am surprised that we're the only people in such a large, luxurious building."

Chopper, who had been nibbling quietly on his apple, turned around and began to walk out of the resort. "I'm going to do some exploring," he told the black haired woman through small bites, "I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

Luffy chased after the short man like a hunting dog did a rabbit, never once letting him leave his site. He ran through pillars, up winding staircases, around dinning tables and through other labyrinths around the building. This man had good stamina, Luffy'd give him that much, but the rubber man was determined to catch him and make him pay for throwing annoying rocks at him. The man made bee-line for a room to his right, quickly darting into the opening. Luffy followed suit, stopping as a large, circular pool separated him from the safari-hat wearing man opposite the fountain. Luffy took a few steps to his left, trying to sneak around to the other side, but the short man mirrored his movements in the other direction. Luffy quickly changed his course to his right, but then man mimicked his steps. It was obvious they weren't going to get anywhere while being separated by this shallow pool.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Luffy demanded, pointing a finger at the man across from him, "I need to pay you back for attacking me!" The short man smirked at the Straw Hat boy, though he looked prepared to make a break for it if need be.

"You have a lot of nerve," he chuckled dryly, "I've risked my life to come to this and offer you the perfect proposal." Luffy eased his tension slightly, straightening himself to look at the strange man.

"Risk your life?" The safari hat man stood tall, bringing his hand to his chest.

"I'm sorry for the late introduction," he told Luffy, "I'm captain of the Mustache pirates, Brief. The brave man who started the revolt against Baron Omatsuri's evil rule."

"Uh," Luffy indicated to his own nose with a finger, "you have a booger under your nose."

"This is a mustache!" Brief angrily spat, "this is the logo for the Mustache pirates, and I'm not kind to people who aren't my crew yet! See? A mustache!" Luffy stared at the man's facial hair intently, his mouth in a serious line. "What do you think? Handsome isn't it? Why don't you grow one, too?"

"What's your proposal?"

"Oh, yes." Brief raised his large binoculars to his eyes, peering through them as if to closer examine the boy in front of him, "you have eight partners with you. I've seen them in action, you're a good team."

"That's right."

"I mean, they're really great."

"Of course!"

"Their teamwork is much better than any I've seen before."

"Ha," Luffy grinned, crossing his arms behind his head, "it's really nothing!"

"Then listen," Brief slowly lowered his binoculars, "do you want to join the Mustache pirates?" Luffy remained silent for the few moments that passed between them. "Hey, did you hear me? Do you want to join the Moustache Pira-" Luffy's arm shot out from across the pool, grabbing the short man by the collar of his safari outfit and pulling him across the pool.

"N-no violence please!" Brief squeaked, squeezing his eyes shut in fear. Luffy pulled him closer to his own face.

"No," the Straw Hat captain said seriously, "we don't want to join you. Why should I be your partner?"

"That's what everyone said in the beginning," Brief laughed nervously, "but if you stay on this island a little longer, you'll change your mind! Let me give you a little advice," the man adjusted his round glasses and cast ominous eyes on the boy in front of him. "Be wary of Baron Omatsuri. He'll break the spirit of your team."

* * *

**You tricky old-timers, with your heavy weapons and pyrotechnics. And who's this old guy with a grim warning? :0**


	17. The Secret Island 7

Chopper made his way through the unpopulated town, turning his head around empty alleys and craning his neck to look into dark windows. There wasn't a hint of any civilization living there recently; no wood in fire places, not even bread crumbs in the hollow cupboards. He continued to tour through the town in vain, only to find the same emptiness with every step. After a good stretch of empty buildings, the doctor found himself at a green clearing. In the distance, small white blocks speckled the vast green field almost as far as his eyes could see. As he approached, he felt all of his fur on the back of his neck stand on end. His small black eyes widened in fear as he slowly came to realize he had stumbled on a massive graveyard, rows and rows of tombstones set in an almost never ending line. The reindeer took a few hesitant steps towards one of the massive graves, gulping as he attempted to read the epithet engraved in the stone. Suddenly, his instinct tweaked alert, and his ears flickered as he picked up small, staggering footsteps zoning in on him from behind. Hesitantly, scared of discovering what creature might be lurking in the graveyard and attempting to sneak attack him, he turned his head over his shoulder. Before he even seen what the figure was, the doctor threw his small arms into the air, shrieking in fear.

The man in front of him, dressed in polka dot shorts, an open jacket and a tacky pirate hat threw his hands up in the air as well, screaming in the same frightened manner as the small creature in front on him. Chopper quickly registered him to be not a threat and silenced his terrified cry. "Who are you?" The man quickly snatched Chopper, pulling him behind a large gravestone and raising his fist in the air as if about to pound down on him.

"Those damned men of Baron Omatsuri," he roared, his face twisted up in anger, "how dare they treat us this way! Resign yourself to fate! Die, die, _die!"_ Chopper covered his head with this small hooves, embracing himself for the attack to come. "How about just admitting you lost, you otter freak!" The doctor shot his arms down from his head and glared at the scrawny man, wrath over coming him. To the man's horror, Chopper quickly made a transformation into something that looked more man than animal, looming over the trembling attacker.

"I'm not an otter!" He hollered, yanking the strange man up by the collar of his jacket and cocked a fist, ready to slam into the his trembling enemy's face.

"W-what?" The man squeezed his eyes shut, crossing his arms in front of his head, "you weren't supposed to grow bigger!"

"Dad!" A distant, youthful voice called out from somewhere in the grave yard.

Chopper blinked, fist and man still raised in the air. "Dad?"

"Don't come any closer!" The man roared out bravely, "Dad will win!" The man threw his arms over Chopper, pulling him down behind the large gravestone and scooted closer to him, his hands folded in front of him like he was making a prayer. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's my fault, please forgive me!" The man cried in a whisper, huddling closer to the deer man.

"Who are you guys?" Chopper whispered back, blinking at the groveling man in bewilderment, "I'm not one of the Baron's men." The man's eyes grew wide and he practically jumped on Chopper, grabbing small handfuls of his fur.

"D-don't tell me you're a pirate, too!" Chopper nodded slowly, surprised by such a question. The man gave a sigh of relief and leaned back against the tombstone. "What a coincidence! Everyone in my family is a pirate. In fact, that's my son and my daughters back there," he gestured to the open area behind them, "together we make up the Tearoom pirates. They're good kids, they listen to what they're told. We heard this island was a party island," he explained, "so we came here to go camping. But in the end, it was all just a trap." He dropped his head down to his knees, sulking in defeat. "I mean, who can catch such a big goldfish?"

"So what happened?" Chopper pressed, also leaning against the tombstone.

"In the end," he sighed, "we ran away, of course. But the kids all still think I'm a strong man. I thought you looked like a reasonable fellow, so I came here to ask you," he turned to Chopper, his eyes big and pleading, "Let me beat you up in front of the kids?" Chopper was about to furiously protest when the man shot his arms out and muffled the doctor's mouth. "It's just for pretend! And in return, I'll tell you the secret of this island!" Chopper turned his head skeptically at the man.

"Secret...?"

"Yes, that's right! The secret of the island!" Chopper lowered his head, thinking hard on his decision. "Please, it's just for pretend! You just go along." The man jolted up from behind the gravestone, his hands on his hips and glaring at Chopper with the angry expression from before.

"You scoundrel!" He roared down, "you'd better come straight with me!"

"I'm sorry, please forgive me!" Chopper faked, clutching his hat to cover his eyes. The man's family had emerged from behind the gravestones, watching the battle play out before them. Both Chopper and the man quickly flashed an eye to their audience, trying tell if they had bought the act.

"Scoundrel!" The skinny man roared, raising a bony fist in the air. Chopper faked a squeal, cowering under his hat.

"I surrender!" He cried, pretending to tremble all over. The smallest daughter jumped forward, throwing her hands in the air.

"Dad, you're great!" She cheered, bouncing up and down, "you're really great!" A grin spread on the man's face as he turned to look over his shoulder at his youngest daughter.

"Haha, right? Your dad's the greatest!" He placed his hands confidently on his narrow hips, beaming with pride. The older daughter brought her eyebrows together.

"This looks like you're pretending," she said skeptically, folding her arms together, "How do you we know you're not just faking it?" The man's eyes went wide as he quickly tried to cover his lie.

"Why wouldn't this be real?" The young woman crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her huffing father before turning her head to her sister.

"Listen, don't be so easily tricked by this guy."

"Hey! Don't call me _'this guy' _when I'm standing right here, it's rude!" The youngest daughter blinked up at her sister, then turned her gullible eyes to her father. The oldest daughter snapped her eyes at her dad, squinting them in bitterness.

"Quit your nagging, old man!" Chopper blinked as the small family feud continued to play out before him.

* * *

The crowd roared in a frenzy as the two speed boats shot past them, splashing them with a wave of river water as they turned down the bend. The smaller enemy craft charged forward in the water and in no time was beside the pirate's canoe. Zoro held on to the ship's bow as the canoe bounced on the waves, watching the grinning old men.

"Good, they've caught up." He mumbled, preparing to reach down and grab a hoop. He froze, however, when he saw the enemy boat's front open, revealing a small storage place for their hoops. A long, mechanical hand sprouted from the side of the kayak and snatched the blue ring. Zoro ducked and spun to avoid the hand, which had extended and begun to try and put the hoop around him. Misery, who had been sitting near the back of the boat close to Sanji, threw her arms out in exasperation.

"Don't just stand there!" She hollered at him, watching as he frantically tried to avoid the mechanic limb, "you have swords, moron!" Zoro flashed her a malicious look, but took her advice. Quicker than eyes could register, the green haired man slid his two swords out of their sheaths and leaped into the air, making one swift motion with his arms before landing safely back in his previous spot. The metal arm shook furiously for a moment, then separated into several smooth cut fragments. The old men watched in horror as the debris splashed into the water, quickly sinking out of sight.

"It's time for us to attack," the swordsman yelled, snapping his head in Sanji's direction, "Hey, close in!"

Sanji grit his teeth irritatedly, wind whipping his blond hair furiously about. "Stop ordering me around, I know what to do without you telling me!" Their boat slid closer to the enemy ship as Misery handed Zoro a red hoop. The swordsman lifted it above his head, preparing to toss it down on the small leaf heads. To their shock, the old man in the rear of the boat whipped out what appeared to be a Gatling gun. A flurry of bullets began to shoot out of the firearm, aimed at the samurai with the ring. Zoro danced around in spot to avoid being shot by one of the hundreds rapid bullets, while Misery and Sanji sat and watched with cynical amusement from their seats. Finally, the bullets stopped, and Zoro quickly patted his body to check for damage. He was safe, but it didn't stop him from boiling over with rage when he saw the smug smirks of his crew mates.

"Dodge the bullets, assholes!" He roared, and teeth practically morphing into fangs while his eyes grew wide with anger.

"Oh, you sure?" The cook's sarcastic tone only served to piss him off further, "I don't know if I can!" Sanji pulled the lever of their canoe, rendering them even closer to the enemies boat. The rain of lead began to fall over the swordsman a second time. He flung himself madly about, dodging the best he could. Though at first, Misery thought this to be in some twisted way a funny prank, she had to admit it was getting old- and slightly dangerous. She nudged Sanji to pull away from the enemies, and though it seemed to pain him greatly, he did.

"I TOLD YOU TO DODGE!" The swordsman shouted with all the air in his lungs, panting furiously after the rigorous exercise he just under went.

"Dodge them yourself!" Sanji spat back, finger twitching irritatedly. Not only was he stuck in this small vessel with the one man who annoyed him the most, but he hadn't had a cigarette in what felt like hours. It took Zoro all of his effort not to slice the cook up right then and there, and instead lift the hoop up over his head again and try to slam it forcefully on the old man in the center of the adjacent kayak. The blue speed boat quickly pulled away, dodging the close capture. At the same time, their own boat pulled sharply away, throwing the green haired man off balance. Zoro had leaned dangerously over the edge, and if it wasn't for Misery snatching the back of his open white shirt, he would have undoubtedly fallen into the water. The two vessels became momentarily separated by the small island of buildings that was situated in the middle of the river, splitting it in two.

"Pay attention to what you're doing!" The raven haired girl hissed. Zoro spun around and glared into her yellow eyes.

"Me?" He yelled defensively, patting his chest with his open hand, "It's that idiot back there! He needs to keep his eyes open and watch what he's doing!" Sanji stood up, letting the ship steer itself in a straight line as he advanced towards his crew mate.

"Why didn't you just hurry and finish them off?"

"That's what I was doing just now! You're the one who screwed everything up!"

"You _both_ screwed it up!" Misery tried to rip them apart, but it was no use.

"It's not my fault this moss-head is an incompetent idiot." Sanji snarled, eyes never straying from the challenging glare he was sharing with the swordsman.

"Moss-head?" Zoro's lip curled upwards in a growl, "If you have something to say to me, say it, you curly-browed pervert!"

"I have something to say to both of you imbeciles!" Misery clunked the two arguing men over their heads, then gestured to the kayak which had appeared in front of them. The man in the rear tossed a hoop their way, and if it weren't for the fortune teller's warning, Zoro would have been wearing it. Instead, he slid his sword out with a flick of his thumb, slashing the ring into tiny bits, then returned it to it's holster.

"Now," he growled, dark eyes piercing into the blue ones in front of him, "what did you have to say?"

* * *

The fire crackled hungrily at Nami, Aris and Usopp's feet. By now, it had practically engulfed the whole kayak, and everywhere they stepped flames licked hungrily at their ankles. Usopp stood, deep in thought while Aris and Nami jumped wildly from foot to foot, trying to escape the intense heat underneath them.

"_Hot hot hot!_" The Navigator shrieked, lifting her knees as high as they could.

"Usopp, think of something! Have you run out of ideas?" Aris cried, sweat dripping down her forehead. The marksman had his hand curled around his chin as if he were contemplating a serious, serious decision. He turned and gave the two girls his back, nodding his head.

"This fire will continue to burn for a good while until it finally dies down," he concluded. Nami snapped her head in his direction, still prancing frantically about.

"What the hell are you reciting?" Usopp snapped his fingers, lifting his head swiftly.

"A good idea!" Nami and Aris turned their heads expectantly at the back of his head, stars twinkling furiously in their eyes.

"A good idea?" Aris repeated excitedly, nodding in a gesture for him to continue.

"I've been trying really hard," the long nosed man let his head drop defeatedly against his chest, "...but I can't think of any." Fire hotter than the flames around them burned in Nami's eyes as she quickly bent down and grabbed a small, square object on the floor.

"You're useless!" She screamed, hurtling the object at the back of Usopp's head. He gasped in agony as it smashed into him before clanking on the ground in front of him. Rubbing where it at made impact, the marksman's eyes grew wide as he looked at the box at his feet.

"A rescue box?"

Aris handed the thief an identical one that she had found hidden under the blanket that had caught on fire, but was now just a pile of ash.

"Here," the spy told her, "I found another one." Nami blinked at the golden box in bewilderment. The enemy kayak zipped beside them, and then old woman pointed at the item it the Navigator's hands.

"That box will make good things happen if you open it, but only in emergencies!" She told them, before the old man behind her clasped her mouth shut. A sly grin curled the edges of the orange haired girl's lips.

"I see," she said happily, holding the box out in front of her, "this is our chance to turn the tables in this freakish game!" Aris grinned delightfully as the Navigator giggled in excitement, unclicking the hinges of the box and singing in a cheerful tone, "_What's inside? What's inside?_" She flung the cover of the golden box off. The two girls stared in dismay at the contents.

"M-mugs?" Aris whimpered, holding one of the two cups that had been stored inside. Nami took the other one before dropping the box on the floor of their vessel. The Navigator quickly rushed to the side of the canoe and fell to her knees, scooping water out of the river and throwing it on the fire in the boat. Aris quickly did the same on the other side, trying furiously to extinguish the flames.

"Does this box have those too?" Usopp unsnapped the hinges of the box in his hands, but to his horror, it flew out of his grasp and clasped around him like a square shirt. He grabbed at the object he was now wearing, trying to pull it off, but it was stuck stubbornly to him. Aris and Nami turned their heads in shock as two make shift wings unfolded and the box fell off of the marksman's chest, revealing a tight vest now wrapped snugly around him. The wind caught the wings strapped to him, and the long nosed man was lifted off his feet, kicking frantically.

"Usopp!" Nami called, reaching a hand out to the man above her, but he was already much too far for her to grab. "Wait, where are you going? Usopp!" Aris watched as the man glided high above them, the screams of terror now replaced with a disbelieving laughter.

"He's running away, he's running away!" The old woman speeding beside them cackled, pointing at the air born pirate. "He's running away by himself!"

"That's him being self-centered," the old man in front of her added, watching as the marksman became nothing more than a speck. Aris whipped her head and glared angrily at her opponents.

"Usopp would never leave us like that!" She spat, but the ringing laughter that haunted her ears made her doubt her own words. Yes, he was a coward, but he wouldn't leave his friends when they needed him. She tried to reassure herself, but by the look on Nami's face, she could tell she was the only one who had faith in the long nosed man. The two girl's turned desperate eyes to the sky, not really believing what had just happened.

* * *

Robin sat with her long legs elegantly crossed, holding a tropical drink in between her fingers. The table next to her was decorated with an array of empty glasses, barely any of which had been hers. Muchigoro took another slug of his new beverage before adding that glass to his collection. His eyes were half shut, a lazy expression covering his blushing face.

"Flower?" He repeated the question the woman beside him had just asked, looking at her with his glossy eyes. "Hmm, I'm not too sure... I've only heard of one flower on this island. I'm really drunk," he slurred, his head nodding tiredly, "I want to sleep..."

"Don't say such things," Robin said smoothly as two hands sprouted from the man's shoulders, pulling Muchigoro's eyelids open to keep him awake. "Try your best to recall something."

"W-well..."

"Well?"

"T-there's a Lily Camation flower."

"Lily," Robin's eyes turned serious, "Where's that?"

"It's at the highest point of this isla-" Muchigoro's eyes widen as his face turned a sickly shade of green. His mouth puckered closed, trying to hold back what was quickly rising from his stomach. Two additional hands sprouted from his shoulders and all four clasped his mouth shut. The pear shape man sprang up and took of down the hall, apologizing as he fled. When he was gone, Robin leaned forward in her seat slightly, brows pressed together.

"Lily Camation..."

* * *

"Hey, you in front!" The leaf head named Tuck called, waving his stubby arm at the pirates ahead of him, "Don't run!"

Sanji had his arm raised out in front of him, pointing across the ship at his rival with his irritated, nicotine deprived fingers, "You've really made me lose my patience this time," he told the green haired man slowly. "Don't get too full of yourself, you air headed scum bag."

Zoro tugged his sword upwards, clenching it so tight his knuckles had turned white. "Speak for yourself."

Misery, who had been forced to maneuver the ship in the back lest they crash into the side of the canal, shook her head in disbelief. "Both of you, cut it out! I figured even you dimwits would know when enough is enough!" Zoro rolled his eyes.

"Those who stick their noses where they don't belong sometimes find it cut right off," Zoro growled at her, "so stay out of this, you're just as bad!"

"How dare you threaten Misery," Sanji clenched his fist, "can you really be any more disgusting?"

"Dammit!" An old raspy voice shouted from behind them, "how dare you act like we're not here!" The doors on the side of the canoe slid open once more, revealing the three barreled guns that rolled out and cocked up, firing a massive flurry of missiles at the three of them. Misery steered them out of harms way, blowing a loose strand of hair exasperatedly out of her eye. The blue motor boat sped up beside them, the old men inside laughing triumphantly.

"Did we scare you yet, kiddos?" The middle man cackled. Zoro's eyebrow twitched in annoyance and he clenched his swords even tighter, causing his whole arm to shake.

"You're really irritating," he told the man, spinning his body around and slicing the enemy vessel. The three old men gasped and they fell behind. Zoro straightened up and returned his hateful gaze to Sanji. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Misery turned her head over her shoulder and watched as Tuck quickly repaired the boat, making it bigger and even more threatening than before. Their raspy cackling returned as they slid their new and improved ship beside the pirate's kayak. Sanji twisted his face up in annoyance and he spun around and delivered three unfathomably powerful kicks to the vessel, rendering it broken once more. "Okay," he said, turning back to face the swordsman, "let's continue."

The enemy ship approached once more, this time much larger and more menacing. A large, golden drill spun furiously at it's front, threatening to grind their small canoe to oblivion. The two men scowled the same frustrated expression before unleashing an arsenal of kicks and slashes. "STOP YOUR PESTERING!" The ship disassembled into thousands of metal bits, the old trio inside crashing into the water.

"Took you long enough," Misery mumbled with an eye roll, slowing the ship down.

"Let's get back to business," Sanji pointed a finger at Zoro and was about to throw another insult at him, when a familiar voice caught his attention.

"You three idiots!" It called out to them. Zoro, Sanji and Misery all turned their heads to see Nami hanging from a street pole by a rope, three hoops wrapped tightly around her. Not too far below her, Aris dangled upside down by her ankle, also wrapped in blue hoops and connected the same rope as the Navigator. "Hurry and toss the hoops on them!"

"Oh, right!" Sanji tossed a red hoop at one of them, and Misery threw another. They quickly snagged two old men, shrinking tightly around them as they floated on the water's surface. Misery maneuvered the kayak closer to the dangling girls. Sanji leaned over, reaching his arms out to them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, angels."

"Just hurry up and get me down!" Nami hissed with aggravation.

He was just about to untie Aris' ankles when a flurry of darts caused him to jump backwards. Misery and Zoro ducked just in time before a second shower of darts stuck to the bow where their heads had been moments ago. An old man (the one they over looked from being so wound up with each other) landed on the bow of their kayak, smiling a gaped tooth grin threw his white beard.

"Never let your guard down," he warned them, "old people often take you by surprise! Remember, I'm Yoshi." Zoro quickly sliced his sword towards him, but the old man sprang off and landed on the opposite end of the boat, beside Sanji. He also managed to leap away from Sanji's kick, landing behind Zoro again. He tried for a second strike, spinning his body and kicking with his other leg. Zoro bent his body backwards, narrowly missing the foot that whizzed over his face.

"Watched what you're doing!" The green haired man spat at the cook. Misery yelped in pain as the old man leaped on to her head, then pushed off and sprang to the opposite end again. She flashed her yellow eyes up at the swordsman next to her, rubbing her skull painfully.

"Why are you just standing there?" She practically screamed, her blood boiling, "cut him up!" Zoro swung his sword once more at the small sprout-top, and this time it was Sanji's turn to narrowly miss being decapitated.

"_Who'_s the one who should be careful?" Sanji spat, a vein throbbing ragefully in his temple. Zoro took a step forward, shoving the cook over.

"You're in my way," the swordsman growled at him, "move it!"

The blond haired man grabbed his shoulder, pushing him behind him, "You get out of _my_ way!"

"Anyone will do!" Misery hollered, waving her hands frustratingly in the air, "just get on with it!"

Yoshi leapt from the bow of the water craft and landed gently on Nami's shoulders. Aris' position caused her to see the world upside down, but her eyes widened in fear as she watched both Zoro and Sanji leap from the boat, sword drawn and leg cocked, straight for Nami's head. Nami winced in anxiety as the approached, ducking her head. The old man leaped from her shoulders and into the air just as the two of them had swung. Instead of Yoshi, the two of them had sliced through the rope, sending Aris and Nami plummeting into the river. The two girls quickly floated to the surface, spitting water out of their mouths.

"Watch what you're doing!" Nami roared from the river. Yoshi landed on their ship once again. Misery attempted to elbow him in the back of his small head, but he sprang away out of her range in the blink of an eye. Instead, two grown men crashed into each other above her, then fell quite ungracefully on top of the fortune teller.

"You two-" Misery shouted, scrambling to her feet.

Sanji grabbed the collar of Zoro's open shirt, eyebrows pressed together. "I told you to get out of my way!"

"What did you just say?" The swordsman snatched the cook's shirt as well, tugging at each others collars ragefully.

Aris and Nami watched from the water, confusion beginning to appear on their features. Aris turned her eyes to Nami worriedly, and the thief returned the glance. Sure, those two had always been competitive, but this wasn't competition. Something had really sparked between them; something that definitely wasn't good for their crew. Nami noticed a shadow appearing above the trio on the vessel.

"You guys, heads up!" She warned them. The three of them turned their heads skywards, their eyes widening. Zoro leaped out of the way, using both the cook and fortune teller as leverage. The hoops fell over them, quickly tightening and binding them.

"That was close," the swordsman whispered exasperatedly, watching as his two crew mates tried to struggle free.

"Oh," Yoshi noted, eyes flicking to Zoro. "One got away."

"He didn't get away, he used us as a shield!" Sanji growled, wiggling against the hoops. Zoro rose to his feet and approached the small old man.

"Quit arguing," he told the cook, shoving him to the side and causing him to bump into Misery, "Everyone saw what happened. I can handle him myself."

"He's still bragging," Yoshi smiled, "both of you couldn't even lay a finger on me, moments ago." Zoro gritted his teeth together. This old midget had a lot of nerve.

"That's because someone kept getting in my way," he murmured, flicking his sword.

"What did you say just now, scum bag?" A leg glided over the swordsman's head, which he barely dodged.

Nami shook her head from the water, her orange hair plastered to her head. "Would both of you just cut it out? If this goes on-"

"Yoshi is really good," a voice from behind her said. Nami and Aris turned their heads to see their opponents bobbing in the water, a wide grin plastered on their faces. "He's been playing this game for many years, at least try and tire him out!" The old sprout tops cackled madly, eyes wide and the whites of their eyes bulging out. Nami and Aris curled their lips up, huddling together and trying to lean as far away from group as possible. They no longer appeared like cute old folks; now they had a much more creepy, eerie air about them.

* * *

**Sorry to stop so abruptly, but I just couldn't write anymore tonight. It's been a few days since I updated, but I figured I'd make up for it with a really long chapter. Anyway, I'm going to be gone for two weeks, so I probably won't be updating until then. Hope you like this chapter, it was a blast to write! Also, if there's a lot of errors, sorry. I didn't take the time to read over this because I'm dead tired but wanted to update before I leave, but I'll review it when I get back.  
**

**Oh, and if you're feeling generous, a line of encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Yes, I've been resorted to begging for reviews.  
**


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